Marlene® – the brand that’s been producing natural masterpieces for 30 years – announces the competition entitled “Marlene® turns 30”, inviting consumers and fans to join in the celebrations of this major anniversary. The competition – which runs until 15 November – will be an opportunity for entrants to draw inspiration from Marlene® and its relationship with nature and its home area to create artworks in a variety of expressive forms, that recount the many-faceted world concealed behind every apple. From art to cuisine and from literature to music, the competition will be a genuine tribute to the richness of nature and the unique pleasure offered by Marlene®, as well as a special opportunity for everyone to express their artistic side and try to win one of the exclusive prizes on offer.

Marlene® is much more than just an apple: it’s a story of nature, passion and people. Every variety is the outcome of the perfect combination of the Alpine climate and the Mediterranean sun, unique to South Tyrol. In fact, this amazing area produces apples of outstanding quality, the fruit of the hard work of the VOG Consortium’s more than 4,000 farmers, who care for the apple orchards for 365 days a year. Marlene® is a brand whose story doesn’t only recount its varieties’ unique flavour, but also embraces a rich universe of values that surround the product. An approach perfectly attuned to the spirit of the competition, which aims to encourage consumers to discover everything Marlene® really stands for, suggesting consideration of themes such as origin, the harmonious passing of the seasons, varietal assortment, sustainability and nutritional benefits, as well as personal recollections and the emotional associations of the brand and its bond to its home area. In other words, the ideal work will give visibility to the unseen and use details to focus on what really matters.

“Our thirtieth anniversary is a significant milestone, and we’ve chosen to celebrate it by placing the consumer in centre stage once again. With this competition, we want to highlight the public’s creativity, by inviting people to take a journey beyond taste and explore the richness of the world that lies concealed behind an apple. The prizes will be special experiences in South Tyrol - Südtirol, where Marlene® apples are born. Winners will find out about the daughter of the Alps at first hand, meet the people whose passion and commitment are the lifeblood of the brand, and enjoy unforgettable experiences like a meeting with chef Norbert Niederkofler,” comments Hannes Tauber, Marketing Manager of the VOG Consortium. “With its Marlene® brand, VOG can offer the right apple for every need, 12 months a year, and we want to support this capability with engaging, inspiring projects that authentically express everything the brand represents.”

How to enter and prizes

It’s easy to enter the competition: entrants simply register on the 30.marlene.it website, choose one of the four categories – literature, music and the visual or culinary arts – and upload their artwork inspired by Marlene®’s 30th birthday and the meaning and values intrinsic to this milestone. The contents will be placed in an online gallery and assessed by a jury of experts, who will choose the winners. The prizes will be exclusive experiences that celebrate and embody the authentic spirit of Marlene®’s home area, with stays at Gallo Rosso farmhouses, where winners will be able to immerse themselves directly in the lifestyle of the people who grow Marlene® apples every day with great care and love of their homeland. In fact, the work awarded overall first place by the jury will receive a thirty-day holiday in South Tyrol - Südtirol, to be taken within the next five years. The winners of the individual categories will receive a holiday voucher for one week in South Tyrol, while the winner of the culinary arts category will also have the amazing opportunity of an internship with three-star chef and green star for sustainability Norbert Niederkofler at the Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler. A unique experience in a Michelin three-star kitchen that only Marlene® is privileged to offer.

The campaign will be supported in stores by special packaging that invites consumers to take part, specific materials about the competition and marketing designed to engage with consumers directly at the time of purchase.

So five years after the success of the 25th birthday competition – which attracted more than 6,000 works from 36 countries – Marlene® is again celebrating nature’s artworks by once more inviting consumers to express its values through their own, individual creativity.