The Suzuki Ad Campaigns Photographs by Franco Turcati That Scandalized the Whole Italy in the 1960s

Franco Turcati initially photographed Alfa Romeo automobiles for Monzeglio, a Turin-based car dealership that later became Italy’s first Suzuki motorcycle importer.

His work in advertising began in 1965 when he shot Suzuki’s first Italian campaigns using a Nikon F with a 300mm telephoto lens. One of his most memorable campaigns, ‘Io Suzuki e Tu?’, combined motorbikes and female models, reflecting both the male gaze and evolving female fashion trends of the time. Another campaign, inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm, stirred controversy with its slogan, leading to its condemnation by Italy’s newly formed advertising regulatory body.

h/t: vintag.es

The campaign faced backlash from feminist movements and activists like Angelo Pezzana, who protested sexist advertisements by covering billboards with stickers. In response, Suzuki shifted its advertising approach, launching the ‘Suzuki Steel Island’ campaign, though it failed to achieve the same popularity. Japanese headquarters decided to adopt a more restrained marketing strategy to compete with rivals like Honda and Kawasaki. Suzuki then collaborated with OPIT, a Milanese advertising firm, to shoot a campaign at the Monza circuit, which Turcati found uninspired.

As advertising shifted, Turcati observed a decline in originality, blaming the Macintosh era for standardizing designs. He lamented that younger generations lacked a deep understanding of typography and design principles. In his early career, Turcati thrived in discussions with entrepreneurs and art directors, but he later felt that professional growth diminished with the changing industry landscape.