A breath of ‘fresh air’?
Image: Lake Como Air
You’ve heard the expression of someone wanting to bottle a feeling, smell or memory… how about canning some air from a holiday?
Lake Como’s ‘fresh air cans‘ have caused quite a stir this week. You read that right – cans filled with fresh air are being sold for €9.90 (£8.22) in Italy, for tourists to take home as more a memory-based souvenir rather than a proper product.
Marketing specialist, Davide Abagnale, came up with the concept. He told The Independent that the initial idea behind the can was to “create a souvenir that could be easily transported in a suitcase for tourists” and “something original, fun and even provocative.”
The ‘400ml’ can contains ‘pure air,’ along with a 0.0000001 percentage of ‘Lake Como Secret Formula,’ according to its website.
The canned air is only for sale in local stores near the Lake, to promote and encourage visits to the area. I’ve not been, but I think I would want to take home a more authentic gift from Lake Como, or better yet, a can of something I can actually consume.
Still, this souvenir can be repurposed – the website encourages using as a pen holder or plant pot once opened. You certainly can’t do that with a fridge magnet… Let’s also not forget that the importance that the Lake Como Air website reminds people this product is also 100% recyclable, once the novelty of having air sat on your shelf has potentially worn off.
Whatever your thoughts on this product are, we’d love to hear them! Is this a hit or miss idea?
- Alex Rivers (she/her), CanTech International editor
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