DoDo

belongs to

Pamellato

about

In 1994, Pomellato had declared its "commitment to the protection of the natural heritage," and it created DoDo, a range of modular jewellery which could tell a story and communicate messages of universal meaning. The name of course comes from a bird that was rapidly driven into extinction by Dutch colonists on the island of Mauritius. The classic DoDo products are their animal pendants, each of which has a specific meaning (they are listed below). They are made in yellow or pink gold on a black-waxed cotton cord, with some pieces, such as the Fortunello and Uno Su Mille charms, in white gold and diamonds. DoDo went from strength to strength and in 2002, 47% of Pomellato's total sales was made up by the DoDo brand, performing particularly well in countries outside Italy. The best market was in fact Japan, where boutiques were opened in 2002. New charms are added every year.

DoDo's communications are superbly tailored to their target audience. The Fortunello charm is advertised by black and white silhouette-type images accompanied by a rhyme, such as "What fate awaits I need not fear, And I'll make the reason clear, Touching wood works well you see, And black cats are no threat to me, But keeping me from any harm, Is my Fortunello charm". DoDo is also highly active on web 2.0, with Facebook applications ("On Valentine's day send a Dodo surprise") and other social network tools. The Dodo website (www.dodo.it) is a perfect example of communications targeted to a precisely-defined group of consumers.

The "Monetina" collection (spring-summer 2009) is a good example of how the Dodo brand utilises forms of communication that appeal to the young at heart. Monetina is a pink gold and silver pendant in the form of a coin with the words "1 kiss" on one side, and "A kiss for your thoughts" on the other.

Though the DoDo concept and the image of the pieces are refreshingly youthful and "new generation," the prices of these jewels are still at a luxury products level, reflecting the valuable materials used.