Behind-the-Scenes of Lavazza’s Massive 2023 Calendar Shoot

Lavazza, perhaps Italy’s most well-known coffee brand, has released its 2023 calendar shot by Los-Angeles based photographer Alex Prager. Along with the photos, the company has also released a behind-the-scenes look at the massive production.

The coffee brand’s theme for this year’s calendar embraces a message that likely resonates with bars, restaurants, and coffee shops around the world after two years of difficulty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: YES! We’re Open!

“As we safely resume post-pandemic activities together as a community, Lavazza’s calendar serves as an invitation to come in and enjoy an experience of pleasure and conviviality together,” the company says.

Lavazza says the calendar, which is also produced as a book, embodies the underlying concept that the beauty of humanity is the connection of people to one another.

“Bars and cafés provide us with an inclusive place for cultures and identities to come together over a cup of coffee. The images throughout the calendar perfectly capture the essence, warmth and restorative capacity of Lavazza’s coffee enjoyed between both new and old acquaintances within a cafe.”

The photo shoot required considerably more coordination than most other high-level productions since the company not only packed in many models into the cover photo scene but also produced it as a video, which further complicated it:

Through a series of videos and photos shared on the calendar’s website, Lavazza shares looks at how the production was put together including brief looks at lighting setups and how Prager worked with models to produce the finished photos.

In an interview, Prager explains that she wanted the calendar to feel like a journey through different stories happening around the world. Prager shot the campaign using a Hasselblad medium format DSLR, a camera that is still favored by high-end photographers around the world.

Not only are the photos available to view as hard copies in a book and calendar, Lavazza also has set them up as part of an interactive online gallery. This gallery asks viewers to look through the images to find “Easter eggs” that link back to the previous 10 years of artistic projects from the company that are dedicated to sustainability.

The full gamut of photos and videos that show how the campaign was put together can be perused on Lavazza’s website.

Image credits: Alex Prager / Lavazza