Publicis Peru And Cusquena Created a New Statue To Attract Tourists

May. 24, 2022

In Cusco, a city that lives from tourism, artisans were among the most affected by the pandemic. Cusquena, Peru's flagship beer brand, together with Publicis Worldwide Peru; created a new landmark to attract tourists: The Impossible Hug, a statue that represents the embrace that all Peruvians wanted to give each other in times of social distancing and that, without a doubt, every tourist will want to take home.

Based on the two malts used for Double Malt and the claim of the campaign "made of impossible", Publicis Worldwide Peru and Cusquena decided to do something that seemed impossible in times of social distancing. They created a two-part sculpture that would come together in an embrace in the Plaza de San Blas, an emblematic neighbourhood of artisans in Cusco, to transform it into a new tourist attraction to help economic reactivation.

The two sculptures were created by two artists, one from Lima by Rafael Lanfranco, a pop artist who combines Andean elements in contemporary proposals; and the other from Cusco, by the hand of Edi Merida, sculptor heir to the legacy of the Mérida family, one of the important artisan families of Cusco and manager of the creation of the Inkariy museum that seeks to keep our pre-Columbian legacy alive.

Within the framework of the launch of the new variety of Cusquena – Doble Malta, the brand opted for a social approach.

Nelson Fragoso ,General Manager/ Chief Creative Officer Publicis Worldwide Peru said:

 “We couldn't just make a commercial launch and turn our backs on the city where Cerveza Cusqueña was born. Peru had one of the earliest and longest quarantines in the world, when the pandemic began, the closure of external and internal borders, and all the restrictions that the Government took, added to the political instability that was experienced due to the vacancy of the president, they caused tourist activity to come to a complete standstill throughout 2020 and almost all of 2021.”

 

The sculpture was originally assembled in the Plaza de San Blas with the support of local authorities; even close to 50 more artists joined the cause by intervening free scale reproductions of the Impossible Hug that were auctioned in the local art circuit, managing to raise funds for the community of artisans of San Blas.

The sculpture caught the attention of the national press and quickly became a tourist attraction. The rights to the Impossible Hug were released so that the same artisans can also make their versions and sell them as part of the economic recovery plan. Cusquena even contributed with the distance sale of these handcrafted pieces through the brand's channels.