Wolfgang Amadeus (Amadé) Mozart (1756-1791) was and continues to be an icon that fascinates people all over the world. Now Magnum, honours the great master with the first music video for one of his compositions – a remix of the first movement of his 25th Symphony. The premiere of the video ‘MOZART by MAGNUM’ took place on July 29th, 2022, at the composer's birthplace in Salzburg during a reception hosted by the International Mozarteum Foundation and Magnum. Until September 11th, a special exhibition is open to visitors.
From one classic to another: with this remix video the classic ice cream brand aims to pay tribute to another classic, Mozart, as well as making his music more accessible to a broader audience. The occasion is this year's launch of the ‘Magnum Remix’ range, a reinterpretation of two popular Magnum classics.
"Mozart was one of the greatest composers, a man of pleasure and, as we now know, a true ice cream lover," says Christiane Haasis, Unilever business unit lead ice cream DAChBeNeLux. "With his passion and desire to constantly reinvent himself, he would be the ideal Magnum ambassador today."
"We, the International Mozarteum Foundation, are of course particularly pleased that Magnum, one of the world’s leading ice cream brands, is honouring Wolfgang Amadé Mozart with this international creative project. Corporations like this certainly help to make younger generations aware of Mozart. I am convinced that it will encourage many people to take a closer look at the musical genius," says Rainer Heneis, CEO of the International Mozarteum Foundation.
MOZART by MAGNUM – the video
The remix for the first movement of Mozart's 25th Symphony (G minor, KV. 183) translates the dynamics and power of the music into images that draw the viewer directly into the master's creative process. With his first piece in a minor key, Mozart – only 17 years old in 1773 – broke all musical conventions and expectations of his contemporaries and patrons, who were accustomed to light, gallant works in major from the former child star. Instead, the musical genius presented himself as a mature composer with a piece that was more forceful, expressive, and passionate than any previous work.
Using a mixture of real-life scenes and animation, the video provides an imaginary insight into Mozart's creativity.
Tomas Ostiglia, executive creative director at LOLA MullenLowe, the creative agency behind the project, comments: “It’s a dream come true to be able to pay tribute to a classic like Mozart creating his first ever music video for one of his compositions and to have it become part of an exhibition at his very own museum.”
Linus Klumpner, director of the Mozart Museums in Salzburg: "The International Mozarteum Foundation has made it its mission to show the life and work of Wolfgang Amadé Mozart from new angles and in innovative ways. The video remix developed for the current Magnum campaign is a creative example of how Mozart can be reinterpreted in the 21st century. ‘MOZART by MAGNUM’ joins a series of exciting collaborations between the brand and contemporary artists. I am delighted that the video can now be shown to visitors from all over the world as part of a special exhibition in Mozart's Birthplace."
Mozart: an ice cream lover
It is well known that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not only a musician with heart and soul, but also a man of pleasure. Less well known is that he was also an ice cream fan. A letter in which he speaks of this is in the possession of the International Mozarteum Foundation and is now accessible to the public for the first time as part of the special exhibition ‘MOZART by MAGNUM’. In this letter from Paris dating to July 3rd, 1778 to his father Leopold, Mozart tells of his joy over a successful symphony concert performance and that he treated himself to a ice cream afterwards: "after the symphony I therefore immediately went to the Palais Royale out of joy - had a good ice [ceam] –prayed the Rosary that I had promised – and went home" (sic!)
The ‘MOZART by MAGNUM’ video is part of this year's communication around the new Magnum Remix collection of the Unilever brand Magnum. LOLA MullenLowe, Madrid, is responsible for the video and the campaign. Responsible at Unilever is Ben Curtis, Global Brand Director Magnum. Production company is Proppa (Propaganda Producciones), and it was directed by Martin Werner & Ralph Karam.
Production company animation was Final Frontier, animation studio LeCube. Symphony n25 in Gm KV. 183 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was rearranged and produced by Pietranera-Sancho in HeyFolks studio and recorded with the Malaga Symphony Orchestra. Felipe Guevara is responsible for the mix in Closed Studios.
Responsible for PR in Austria is BuzzDriver - Jockel Weichert & Barbara Fuchs-Puchner, in Germany by COR Berlin Kommunikation GmbH. Event agency is Since Today.
The campaign is supported via OOH in Salzburg at highly frequented locations, print, online, social media, with an exhibition at Mozart's Birthplace in Salzburg and PR activities.