Art Direction, City Branding, Merchandising, Shooting
Vol. 1
My degree project Round Roma, was born from the desire to apply a model of enhancement and redevelopment of the neighborhoods of the city of Rome through the popular boxing gyms.
They are actually historical realities that have so much to offer, but until now have adopted strategies and communication techniques that did not include their role in today's society, but on the contrary only to promote the activities carried out on site.
Life in the suburbs of Rome is not easy at all. The needs of its inhabitants are many, boxing gyms can be a first step to live better. Sport, in particular boxing, is one of the social tools of emancipation, from which other realities are born that will have to fight among themselves to ensure a correct structure of the neighborhood.
Today, networking means being strong together, because unity is strength. To promote and enhance the territory it is absolutely necessary to create a connection between the various activities of the neighborhood and their inhabitants, thus giving life to new training and attractive offers for visitors and citizens.
This favors social innovation and generates positive impacts on the territory, because networking is synonymous with strengthening local communities and those of interest.
The aim of the study is to demonstrate the synergy of the territorial belonging of boxing: synonymous with aggregation and identity, and as a valid alternative for people who otherwise would not have a better future in society.
Belonging, in this specific case, is cultural, social and physical. All these concepts are the only tool to combat the degradation of the metropolis and those who are part of it; because where there is a sense of belonging and greater culture on the part of citizens, there is a positive feedback that increases the wealth of the territory and brings more social cohesion.
This model therefore wants to redevelop the messages and identities referring to the boxing gyms in Rome, a city that unfortunately is defined by preconceptions, generalizations and you can never know enough.
Vol. 2
The naming Round Roma is not only a recovery (round) in the sense of giving the neighborhood back into the hands of its inhabitants, but it is a recovery of the same neighborhood through territorial redevelopment. The meaning of Round is understood as a round of a boxing match, as if a boxing match really took place between the neighborhood and the negative influences within it, a real territorial meeting.
Operation Round Roma is a graphic project aimed at developing merchandising for boxing. Round Roma is a project that aims to support boxing gyms in popular neighborhoods in order to help them earn money, so as to be able to remove as many children as possible from the street. How? Networking, organizing events and selling merchandising.
Thus was born a limited-edition capsule different for each neighborhood, born from the collaboration of LEONE 1947 and Round Roma. A brand that speaks 100% Italian and that uses only high quality materials for the line of products that have always distinguished the LEONE 1947 brand. In addition, to better express the concept of identity and belonging to one's own territory, the scarves of the Roman districts were produced.
The gyms/neighborhoods examined to develop this City Branding operation are: 1. Team Boxe Roma XI – Montagnola 2. Popular gym Quarticciolo – Quarticciolo 3. Quadraro Gym – Quadraro
In addition, each garment of the capsule collections, the scarves of the neighborhoods, and part of the proceeds from the sale of the same, will be donated to popular gyms to give economic support, so as to escort them towards a future of total autonomy.
Around the popular gyms, real human and political communities are born and grow, such as a neighborhood committee, a popular after-school and a collective of people who daily fight to help their neighborhood and the lives of the people who populate it.
Precisely through the lives of the young people who attend these public facilities, you can perceive that popular sport teaches values: you learn that it does not matter to be the best, that you should not make fun of your training partner and most important of all, you respect differences and help each other together. Therefore it is not only understood as a free sport, but is able to carry out a fundamental work for the community, that is to make the street, through the help of boxing as a tool of revenge, a better place. In the abandoned premises or in an old suburban basement, many people see only degradation and social marginality, but fortunately there are those who are still endowed with the art of imagination and can see beyond. That someone is able to transform an abandoned boiler room into a gym open to all, a place where sport is a right and you can train even if you do not have the money to do it.
All these elements that characterize the popular boxing gyms in Rome, bring value, culture and a better life perspective to citizens in their neighborhoods, places where the sense of territorial identity is an essential element.
Photo shoot at the popular boxing gym Team Boxe Roma XI, located in the Montagnola district of Rome. Thanks to the participation of the boxing world champion Giovanni De Carolis and the trainers Luigi Ascani and Italo Mattioli, for having collaborated with ROUNDROMA, the first model of redevelopment of the territory through boxing gyms.
Credits:
Ph: Edoardo Bellotti
Size: 180 x 190 mm
Vol. 1: 156 pages
Vol. 2: 220 pages
