Valentino Rossi’s corporate identity, the foremost element of which is the bright yellow 46, generates some serious income for the Rossi franchise as loyal fans snap up his branded gear at premium prices. In the Qatar paddock there was a small merchandise tent offering event t-shirts and hats with the Losail logo, a few pieces of Lorenzo gear, and a large selection of Rossi hats and shirts. My souvenir Losail hat: 70 rials (about $20). A Rossi hat: 150 rials (over $40). Guess which was selling faster. The selection of Rossi apparel included hats and shirts bearing livery schemes from years past for sentimental fans of his previous seasons and their associated graphics. His designs keep on earning even after he has retired them.
Every few years Aldo Drudi designs a new helmet for Rossi’s general use, in addition to several one-off designs used at certain races such as the Italian GP. Many (if not all) of these designs become collectible helmets from AGV that consumers can buy. The graphics migrate to baseball caps and shirts etc etc, available through Rossi’s merchandise website and at races via shops in the fan areas that specialize in his gear. Drudi’s graphics scheme is not limited to use on the helmet, but migrates downward in the form of several elements of Rossi’s leathers, boots and gloves. As with most things Rossi, the whole package is the one aspired to by his competitors. Some are putting in a good effort to compete with the branding expertise, which many others don’t even really try. Rossi has the majority of fans’ attention and hearts, and his brand loyalty is supreme. It is so powerful, in fact, that it can bring complete strangers together.
Ducati has its own group of extremely loyal fans (Ducati is to motorcycle as Ferrari is to automobile), who also happen to be largely (but certainly not exclusively) Italian, and the national excitement and anticipation of Rossi on Ducati bordered on hysteria when it was made official that Rossi was leaving Yamaha for the 2011 season. What could be better for Ducati fans, for Rossi fans, for Italia, than to have the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) on the national brand of motorcycle? (Some might say it would be better if Ducati were able to continue racing as an official team in World Superbike, but that’s another story. Besides, if you’re going to put all of your eggs in one basket, the basket with the 46 on it is a sound choice.)
But this blessed union, so long awaited, surely made some Italian designers stop and think, Hmmmmmm. Rossi’s bright yellow and Ducati’s bright red are not the most natural bedfellows, aesthetically speaking. One of the world’s major brands has combined similar colors, of course, which only complicated the Rossi-Ducati design dilemma. I refer of course to the brand with the Golden Arches, which led some in the paddock to start referring to Vale as Rossi McDonald. When he appeared in testing with a simplified version of his Sun and Moon motif helmet (shown above), it was uncomfortably difficult to deny the resemblance between Rossi and a certain burger and fry peddling clown.
Thus it was with no small degree of anticipation that I waited to see what Aldo Drudi would come up with to solve this design problem. Surely this situation was not beyond the skills of someone taking his place in the tradition of master Italian designers and artists. But how could he top the previous design? Mayan references, a map of star constellations, minutely detailed ornaments along each of the blazing sun’s rays, all fitting seamlessly with the forgiving blue and white Fiat Yamaha color scheme? Now THAT’S a helmet!
Could its replacement compete for the hearts and minds and wallets of the millions of Rossi fans around the world?
I saw the new lid for the first time on Thursday as Rossi came out for the 2011 class photo with the other MotoGP riders, and at once I felt foolish for doubting Drudi’s talent. The new design unites the red and yellow together in a way that is not at all reminiscent of the Hamburglar or that big purple thing, whatever it was. While still a complicated design, the new hat is not as detailed as its predecessor, and uses more red and orange to tie in the Ducati color with Rossi’s trademark yellow. The expression of the sun and moon scheme is basically the same as the previous one, putting the sun on the forehead and crescent moon on the back, but instead of complex psychedelics, the style is almost cubist, with blocks of solid color and simpler spirals for decoration. Only time and the sales figures will tell how the public views the new design, but I expect it is certainly good enough to convince the Ducatisti that they must have a copy.
What do you think? Like it?
