Jennifer Lotito at the Piaggio Museum, in the exhibition room dedicated to Vespa collection.
February 2025, Pontedera (Italy) - On her recent visit to Italy, Jennifer Lotito, (RED) President and COO, met with Vespa’s Marketing & Communication top management at the Piaggio Group headquarters in Pontedera, in Tuscany. He also visited the nearby Piaggio Museum (27 January 2025, all images in the article captured during the visit) and gave an interview, elaborating on (RED)’s mission and expressed appreciation for the partnership with Vespa. It is with great pleasure that we share this interview with all our readership of Wide Piaggio Group Magazine world-wide.
Piaggio Museum, from left: Davide Zanolini, Piaggio Group Global CMO; Jennifer Lotito, (RED) President and COO; Francesca Biondi Morra, Head of Scooter & CV Brands, Partnerships & Licensing. They pose with a model of Vespa Primavera (RED).
WELCOME, JENNIFER! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE AT VESPA HQ.
“Thank you so much for having me! I’m so thrilled to be here (in-person!) with you and the team in Pontedera to celebrate (RED)’s partnership with Vespa.”
Jennifer during the visit to the Piaggio Museum (and to the current exhibition ‘Piaggio, 100 years in Pontedera’, celebrating the century of industrial presence in this Tuscan town, near Pisa), with the guidance of Riccardo Costagliola, President of the Piaggio Foundation, along with Davide Zanolini.
CAN YOU SHARE SOME BACKGROUND (RED) AND THE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION?
“Absolutely. Our mission is simple: to ensure preventable and treatable disease is preventable and treatable for everyone, everywhere.
(RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to fight AIDS and the injustices that enable pandemics to thrive. We do this by partnering with the world’s greatest brands–like Piaggio–and people to raise money and awareness for global health crises.
We are so happy to share that, to date, (RED) has generated over $785M for the Global Fund, impacting more than 325M people.”
WE ARE SO HONORED TO PARTNER WITH YOU IN THIS MISSION. WOULD YOU MIND SHARING MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE AIDS FIGHT?
“We have made really incredible progress in the fight against AIDS. Globally, AIDS related deaths have halved since 2010, but there is still much work to be done. Nearly 600 girls and young women contract HIV every single day. Yet this is preventable.
And this year is especially pivotal in the fight as we approach the 8th Global Fund Replenishment Conference happening later this year, which will convene world leaders from both the private and public sectors to invest strategically in strengthening global health systems.
To see progress continue we must combat complacency and ensure we are sounding the alarm on this fight. This is exactly why we are so grateful for our partnership with Vespa, who help us continue to raise the necessary funds and heat for the fight in creating timeless and incredibly stylish products that give back with every purchase.”
Continuing the visit to the Piaggio Museum, which houses rich collections of historic vehicles from the scooter, motorcycles and commercial vehicles brands of the Piaggio Group (https://www.museopiaggio.it/en); an Italian history of creativity and innovation for mobility, spanning 140 years.
YES, WE MUST CONTINUE TO ENSURE THIS FIGHT STAYS TOP OF MIND! ONE LAST QUESTION FOR YOU, JENNIFER. WE’VE BEEN PARTNERS SINCE 2016, UNVEILING A NUMBER OF NOTABLE PRODUCTS IN THE SIGNATURE RED COLOR. WHAT IS ONE WORD YOU COULD USE TO DESCRIBE THE (VESPA)RED COLLECTION?
“One word is tough! I would have to say “iconic”. Every product within the (VESPA)RED collection makes such a statement of style and impact – showstoppers in every sense. The (RED) team and I often see them out in the wild, and every time we do it is such a beautiful reminder of the incredible collaboration we have fostered.
As we approach (RED)’s 20th anniversary and Vespa’s 80th anniversary in 2026, we are so excited for the impact we can create together. Our huge thanks to all of the Piaggio employees who help make this partnership possible. We couldn’t be more grateful for your support in the fight.”
Piaggio Museum, Jennifer Lotito admire the Vespa (VESPA)RED products, on sale in the bookshop; impossible to resist the temptation…
(Interview by Eriksen Rikke Borregaard, Senior Global Partnerships Manager/Piaggio Group Marketing & Communication).
(RED) ORG:
https://www.red.org/
(VESPA)RED PRODUCTS:
https://www.red.org/partner/vespa/
