Made in Italy between «invention» and tradition. The hi-storytelling of past advertising and communication campaigns in the context of corporate historical archives and museums

The paper discusses some explorative research investigating the creative re-use of past advertising and communication campaigns in the context of corporate historical archives and museums. From a preliminary literature review, the research analyzed in the field the experiences promoted by four historical Italian companies, contributing to the visual tradition and heritage of the so-called «Made in Italy». Their own corporate museums and historical archives were examined in depth in order to focus the specific patrimonialization and management processes addressed to reactivate – even in forms which are different from the original ones – the communicative function played by historical advertising billboards, television and radio commercials, photos, packaging, corporate movies.