New York City has ‘The Big Apple’ and now Rome has its official she-wolf thanks to an initiative by the city’s mayor, Gianni Alemanno.
In line with other brand-merchandising initiatives taken by major cities across the world, Rome has launched an official logo that will appear on souvenirs. The logo shows a sketch of a she-wolf standing on a capital above with the word ‘Roma’. The design used won a competition to create a logo for the city that attracted more than 1,000 entries,
The she-wolf symbol has symbolised Rome since ancient times. It refers to the famous legend regarding the city’s origins, in which a she-wolf suckled the infant twins Romulus and Remus. Romulus went on to found the city on the Palatine Hill. The use of the capital in the logo is a reference to Rome’s capital-city status and to the topmost part of an architectural column as seen in the city’s many ancient ruins.
The symbol will appear on a range of products, from mugs to T-shirts, and the local council says 70% of the items bearing the logo will be made in Italy. In an effort to stave off counterfeit products, official souvenirs will bear a hologram for authentication purposes. As the master licensee of the brand, the council hopes to raise €3.5 million from royalties on sales over the next five years for zero outlay.
The branded items come in two lines. The Top Line comprises products costing from €29 to €550, including T-shirts and jackets. The Tourist Line has items priced from €3 to €60, including badges, mouse mats and key rings. Branded editorial products such as calendars, maps and DVDs will also be available.
The first Tourist Line products will be available from November in outlets next to monuments, museums and tourist spots in Rome, as well as newsstands, and bookshops. Top Line items will be on sale from mid-January at 50 selected stores. The council is launching a website to sell the souvenirs online.
