AOC tries to “look under the hood” when posting, because the entire marketing and branding story is often much bigger than at first glance.

This is definitely the case with ‘Acqua Fiuggi: Loved by Vogue’, lensed by Elizaveta Porodina [IG], one of the few photographers AOC tracks weekly. The campaign is part of what we might call a total immersion experience that also highlights a future business strategy for Vogue in using their own brand reputation to promote mid-tier or unknown brands with special events and projects.

The portfolio of top luxury brands like Prada or Louis Vuitton don’t really need Condé Nast, as much as Vogue’s parent needs them. That’s not the case for Acqua Fiuggi, a brand of bottled water repositioning itself as part of the wellness business sector.

The secret of Acqua Fiuggi lies in its mineral composition. The Fiuggi reservoir is located at the foot of the Ernici mountain range, and was once a lake in pre-historic times. Lake sedimentation and volcanic activity have enriched the soil with a layer of silt, clay, tuff and ash. Today, the water is filtered through volcanic rock and enriched with valuable minerals that cleanse the body and boost well-being.

Acque Fiuggi cites three health benefits about its water, unverified by Anne of Carversville.com: • detoxifies, • boosts well-being and • reduces bacteria.

Note that bacteria is not inherently bad. For instance, some bacteria that live in the intestines, help digest food, destroy disease-causing organisms and provide nutrients, writes the famous Mayo Clinic. “Why are we all so obsessed with 'gut flora', and what is a 'microbiome' anyway?” headlines ask about the latest wellness trend.

It is a real health issue that is gaining momentum, because recent studies have shown that the gut microbiome composition in individuals with dementia differs from those without dementia.

Gut health was probably not on the menu at the ‘Acqua Fiuggi Loved by Vogue’ dinner photocall at Biocca Hangar during Milan Fashion Week. Nor was the fact that six years ago, Acqua Fiuggi’s owners were in the Frosinone Bankruptcy Court.

Because Amelia Gray joined “fellow nepo babies” Lila Moss and Romeo Beckham for the dinner, even London’s Daily Mail got the name Acqua Fiuggi in front of a huge audience in the first sentence. AOC quickly dug up Adriana Lima, Vittoria Ceretti and Naomi Campbell also in attendance, along with Loli Bahia and Alex Consani.

A brand, not a top-tier luxury brand, simply cannot pulloff an event like this one, which makes Vogue a perfect partner. They delivered 500 people to this event, according to the Italian press.

The next question is whether this campaign is a one-off or part of future events. We all know the probable answer to that question. Anne has noted the new owners of Acqua Fiuggi, and this is a story with two parts.

Clearly with such a comprehensive and strategic campaign in play with ‘Acqua Fiuggi: Loved by Vogue’, photographer Elizaveta Porodina continues to extend her reach in the business and luxury brands world.

Porodina is not a nepo baby herself, and please note that AOC has no problem with nepo babies. But it’s exciting to see her soaring across many sectors — including Porodina’s recent work for the New York City Ballet.