Pirelli
That is why the calendar is such a sought-after collector's item
An exhibition on the last Pirelli calendar in October 2020 in Moscow
© imago images / ITAR-TASS
There will be no Pirelli calendar in 2021. How did the tire manufacturer's giveaway turn into a coveted collector's item?
There will be no new Pirelli calendar in 2021. In view of the corona pandemic, the tire manufacturer will instead donate 100,000 euros for virus research and stop production this year. The fact that the calendar does not appear only happened twice in the company's history: in 1967 and from 1975 to 1983. And with the first edition.
In 1963, the Italian tire manufacturer wanted to advertise its best-selling products with beautiful women in front of an international backdrop. It was supposed to be a free end-of-year gift for its customers. Mysteriously, the issue did not appear at the time. Only the second calendar produced, in which the product placement was completely dispensed with, was given away to special friends of the company.
This has remained the case to this day: the Pirelli calendar cannot be purchased, only received. Which has contributed to the fact that "The Cal" has nothing to do with the wall decoration in car repair shops, but is a coveted collector's item. To this end, Pirelli hires the greatest photographers year after year: Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber, Mario Testino, Helmut Newton, Terry Richardson and Karl Lagerfeld have all been behind the camera for the calendar. While the most coveted models were seated in front of it, including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima.
Away from half-naked models, towards statements
Pirelli has often given its calendar an image change in keeping with the spirit of the times – especially in recent years. In 2017 the legendary Peter Lindbergh did not photograph half-naked models, but a selection of the world's greatest actresses, including Kate Winslet, Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz – mostly dressed.
Star photographer Annie Leibowitz was even braver, completely ignoring the male look at bare skin in 2015 and instead focused on the successes of women. For example, she photographed 82-year-old Yoko Ono with a top hat and blazer, 68-year-old Patti Smith in jeans, and comedian and actress Amy Schumer including rolls of bacon. A Pirelli calendar that feminism would certainly be happy about, should it hang somewhere in auto repair shops around the world.