Ben Stiller wins the ‘Maserati Taormina Award’ and Maserati receives the ‘Taormina Arte Award’ as ‘The Best Advertisement of the Year’
Friday 20 June 2014 – Maserati played a starring role in the Taormina Film Festival award ceremony both presenting an award to Ben Stiller and receiving an award for the Ghibli advert which premiered at this year’s Super Bowl. The awards ceremony was held in the stunning backdrop of Teatro Greco, a befitting scenery to celebrate Maserati’s Centennial.
Giulio Pastore, General Manager Maserati Europe, presented the ‘Maserati Taormina Award’ to American actor Ben Stiller. Stiller was chosen in recognition of the close affinity between Maserati and the character that he masterfully portrayed in the movie ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’.
As Walter Mitty dreamed of displaying the strength, intelligence, looks and courage he knew he possessed, so too Maserati was born from a dream – that of Alfieri Maserati and his brothers – which became a reality in Bologna in 1914, one hundred years ago.
Faithful to its origins though committed to continuous technological innovation, Maserati, in its centenary year, chose this very message for the 90 second television advert for the Ghibli. The ad was first broadcast to an audience of 110 million during the Super Bowl match which took place on the 2nd of February 2014 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Fiat Group was the main sponsor of the prestigious event, consolidating in celebration both the 60th edition of the Taormina Film Festival and the 100th anniversary of Maserati. The 60th Taormina Film Festival was held from 14th to 21st June with Maserati providing the exclusive courtesy car service to the international stars – a constant automotive presence on the red carpet.
In this year’s 60th edition of the Taormina Film Festival, the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte drew the gaze of all present even before the stars on board emerged from them. And every evening, before the film premieres, the music of their engines and their impeccable elegance were complemented by the breath-taking images and mighty roar of the Ghibli that starred in the Super Bowl advert along with the young American actress Quvenzhané Wallis.
The advert, directed by David Gordon Green, delivers a message of hard work, dedication, commitment, passion and tenacity. It pays a clear homage to the values expressed by the first 100 years of Maserati’s glorious history and by the first 60 years of the Taormina Film Festival and tells how, through commitment, perseverance, passion and dedication, obstacles can be overcome and dreams turned to reality.
Terrazza Maserati – the main sponsor’s area at the prestigious Hotel Timeo – was a central hub of the festival, hosting interviews, meetings, cocktail parties and events.
