A contamination between food, art and fashion: Cova’s Creative Lab

Milano, 6 May 2019
The students of MAMA, MAFED and MFB participated in a prestigious challenge launched by Cova, one of the oldest Italian pasticceria now part of the LVMH Group.

Cova represents a typical Italian and Milanese culture, rooted in passion, craftmanship and Italian excellence. Students were challenged in rethinking some of the iconic packaging collections of Cova, bringing together design, creativity, and heritage. “Redesign the iconic Cova panettone hat box is a challenge that allows to marry the search for innovation with the values ​​that distinguish the tradition”, says Vittoria Veronesi, MFB Director.

In less than 2 months, students have come up with proposals and ideas which were presented on Monday, April 8 at the brand-new Cova Garden in via Montenapoleone in Milan. The challenge is one of the many real world applications that students face during the Masters and it represents an important opportunity to learn from the best and to apply different skills in challenging contexts.

“The idea of creating a Cova’s Creative Lab - comments Paola Faccioli, CEO of Cova - was born from the desire to create a space where we could experiment with courage and passion. We are, in fact, convinced that only through a creative and innovative reinterpretation of the historical codes of our brand, which has over 200 years of history, we can remain competitive even in the future, trying to encounter the customers’ needs who are increasingly demanding and in a constant evolution. The project with the SDA Bocconi School of Management represents a first step in this direction. We are proud of having been able to involve such a large group of international students with such different cultures and backgrounds. We were looking for projects able to help us to innovate while respecting our long-lasting tradition, with a particular attention to the most creative and eco-sustainable proposals.”

More than 60 students participated in the challenge and the first three best groups have been awarded. The panel of judges was composed by Paola Faccioli, CEO Cova Montenapoleone, Alberto Fabbri, Vice Chairman LVMH Italy and President of Cova Montenapoleone, Marco Tortoriello, Associate Dean Master Division SDA Bocconi School of Management, David Pambianco, Founder and CEO of Pambianco Strategie di Impresa and Sonia Calzoni, Calzoni Architetti.

“Working with an iconic, heritage brand like Cova truly allowed us to expand our horizons, innovate and think outside the box” says Vetle Egeland (MAFED) “Working with a team of six different nationalities, various creative and business backgrounds, was an exhilarating and exciting experience, where we suddenly realised the 'why' became far more important than the 'how'."

“As future art managers, working on the COVA challenge confirmed to us the importance of remaining true to the history and core values of a brand while conceptualizing new products”, says Ana, Amy, Marisa and Daria (MAMA candidates, awarded the third best project). “By understanding where the brand comes from and what our customers are looking for, the final result will be appealing for both”.

The collaboration with established companies and the application of management skills in group projects represents a pillar of the learning for our students and the contamination among the three Masters representing the Italian excellences (art, fashion and food) is a unique opportunity of growth.

SDA Bocconi School of Management