Italianicity is in the eye of a beholder: Analysis of audience reception to the Italian tourist campaign Italia. Open to Meraviglia

Abstract

In April 2023, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Italy launched the Italia. Open to Meraviglia (Italy. Open to Wonder) campaign with the intention of promoting the beauty of Italy abroad. The Ministry introduced Botticelli?s Venus as a virtual and modern influencer at Lake Como, in front of the Colosseum, and on St. Mark?s Square in Venice. The first advertisements sparked controversy in Italian society, and Eco characterized such phenomena as divisions between apocalyptic thinkers and integrated intellectuals as early as 1964. The aim of this work is to uncover the reasons for such polarization through the content analysis of more than 3000 public comments on the Ministry?s Instagram profile?s most popular posts/images. The study establishes connections between audience reactions and the posts, as well as between the audience and the Ministry (as the senders of this advertising campaign). The analysis also includes a study of the news discourse of the campaign author?s responses in Corriere della Sera, the most circulated daily newspaper in Italy. The harshest criticisms tend to lean towards Eco?s apocalyptic view of popular culture and Hall?s (2017) oppositional reading. On the other side, the authors responded that there was no such thing as bad publicity and pointed to Italian identity as a global phenomenon.