For a heritage brand like Candy, 80 years aren’t just an anniversary: they’re a living archive. “Candy 80 – An Archive of Possible Machines” starts here — celebrating the past without placing it behind glass, and turning it into a story that speaks to the present.
Cliniq Brand Surgery led the project end-to-end: strategy, creative direction, production and communication. A fully integrated effort across multiple stakeholders, operational partners, and a wide set of assets — all aligned across every touchpoint.
Exhibition concept & build (with a greener footprint)
An archive — but not as expected. The exhibition combined a brand timeline with an artistic section built around photography, 3D renders and “possible machines”: imagined objects that still feel believable, positioned between design and the future. The result is a journey where memory and invention sit side by side, turning heritage into creative material.
To shape this vision, Cliniq Brand Surgery worked with Impact Art Consulting who, together with curator Andrea Tinterri, selected the artist Mattia Balsamini, building a curatorial framework able to hold rigour, imagination and a contemporary visual language.
The set-up told its own story too: industrial shelving recovered from Candy’s Brugherio site became display structures and scenography. A practical, zero-waste approach — where sustainability isn’t a claim, but a design decision.
Graphic Design: concept & catalogue layout
The catalogue was designed as a physical extension of the exhibition: an editorial object that works like an “archive to consult”. A custom folder, tactile finishing (hot foil/embossing), dividers and a structured index guide the reader — without forcing a linear narrative.
The layout alternates text, imagery and artworks with a clear, breathable rhythm, staying consistent with the project’s visual system and the exhibition identity.
Content campaign: social graphics & video
The exhibition also had to live beyond the exhibition. We translated the concept into social-first content: teaser motion pieces, editorial assets, recaps, and formats designed to be saved and shared.
Not just announcements — storytelling: from the making of the visual world (3D and photography) to key moments on site, always with a coherent, recognisable language.
Media: OOH and presence at Fabbrica del Vapore
To make the project truly public, we also worked in the city: an OOH and poster plan, plus a strong on-site presence at Fabbrica del Vapore with location materials (banners, large formats, wayfinding).
The aim was simple: make the exhibition recognisable before you even step inside. One identity, many formats, one presence.
Events: the exhibition as a platform
Not an exhibition to visit and leave. Candy 80 became a platform to activate encounters and content: talents and guests, Italian and international journalists (European press trip), an opening gala and vernissage, a closing event with Assolombarda, and a visit from IED design students.
And the figures confirm the impact: 1,611 visitors in 10 days and 600 contacts collected through the exhibition activities.
