Barone Fini Flight of Fini

When celebrated winemaker Barone Fini redesigned its label from the family crest to an illustration of a hot air balloon floating high above its vineyards, they never dreamed it would become the inspiration for a virtual reality experience. Steeped in history, the iconic Italian wine brand wanted to drive trial of its best-selling Pinot Grigio: Valdadige DOC among affluent, wine-drinking consumers. Taking a cue from the new branding, Inspira proposed that we activate at hot air balloon festivals across the U.S. during summer/fall 2022, with a focus on New York, New Jersey, Florida, and at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta – the largest balloon festival in the U.S. While there, we will take attendees on a virtual reality balloon ride; floating over Barone Fini’s river valley, terraced vineyards, and surrounded countryside dotted with castles in the foothills of Italy’s majestic Dolomite mountains while sampling the wine. To bring the VR aspect of this project to life, we assembled a film crew based out of Rome to travel to the vineyards where Barone Fini makes its wine. Over the course of two days, the film crew used drones to document the beauty of the region’s landscape to create a 360-degree VR experience narrated by Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini, an ancestor of the baron of the 1,000+ year-old vineyard. The experience also includes sampling stations, photo ops with a branded scooter, product education, and email capture.