Latest news with #StefanoVolpetti
Identity
23-04-2025
- Business
- Identity
Designing Change: Stefano Volpetti on Curiosity, Collaboration, and a Smoke-Free Future
Stefano Volpetti, President Smoke-Free Products & Chief Consumer Officer at Philip Morris International, is one of the key minds behind the company's bold mission to create a smoke-free future. With a deep belief in consumer-centric innovation and behavior change, he's leading a transformation that blends science, technology, and storytelling. We sat down with Stefano during Milan Design Week, where IQOS introduced its latest collaboration with Italian design house Seletti. Under the banner of Curious X, the partnership reimagines public space and product experience through the lens of curiosity, inviting people to see change as something both inspiring and possible. Why did Philip Morris choose to collaborate with Seletti for this project? What made it the right fit for your smoke-free mission? Our vision for the future is truly smoke-free, and that vision inherently challenges the status quo. We've made significant progress in realizing this—today, just 11 years after launching IQOS, millions of adults have switched from cigarettes to our smoke-free alternatives. That's a powerful indicator of change. To challenge convention, we believe curiosity must be at the center of innovation. That's why we launched the global project IQOS CURIOUS X, and for its first edition, we collaborated with Stefano Seletti. He was the perfect partner because he reimagined the traditional Italian piazza—an unchanging symbol of culture and community—using technology, art, and a deep understanding of human experience. His reinvention mirrors what we're doing with IQOS: taking something entrenched and completely transforming it. It's about inspiring people to be curious and embrace change. Focused on, not just in product development but also in how you connect with people? That's a key point. Even the location of this installation—a piazza—is symbolic. It's a space of culture, connection, and daily life. Realizing a smoke-free future isn't just about offering an alternative product; it's about supporting a full lifestyle transformation. We recognize that switching from cigarettes is a journey, so we've created experiences like IQOS CURIOUS X to accompany people through that process. It's about more than functionality. It's emotional, social, and even artistic. The installation is an invitation to explore, feel, and rethink habits. Through such projects, we empower adult smokers to reimagine their routines, moving from the world of cigarettes into a future of smoke-free. What message do you hope people take away from this experience at Milan Design Week? The first reaction we want is: Wow. The core message is that when curiosity drives reinvention, the results are magical. CURIOUS X isn't a one-off—it's a global initiative that will continue throughout 2025 across 20 countries. We'll collaborate with local designers and artists to reimagine smoke-free experiences and bring new perspectives to adult consumers. In Fall 2025, we'll return here to Milan to reflect on the global learnings and outcomes. It will be a celebration of curiosity, creativity, and the incredible transformation that's possible when we dare to challenge the norm. What's the biggest challenge in accelerating global adoption of smoke-free products? We're now 11 years into this journey, and over 40% of our global net revenues come from smoke-free products. Our smoke-free offerings are available in more than 90 markets, and by 2030, we aim for over two-thirds of our revenues to come from these products. The progress is clear. But the biggest accelerator—and also the greatest challenge—remains the regulatory framework. In markets where regulations allow adult smokers to access accurate information about smoke-free alternatives, adoption is much faster. If people aren't aware of better options, they won't change. That's why enabling access to information and ensuring a supportive policy environment is essential to accelerating this transformation. How do creative events like Milan Design Week influence IQOS marketing strategies? Milan Design Week is a global beacon of innovation and creativity. This is our eighth year participating, and it's arguably our most impactful yet. Collaborating with Stefano Seletti on the IQOS Sensory Piazza installation is not just about design—it's a statement of progress. We're showcasing how curiosity drives innovation. Just like our products challenge the conventional cigarette, our presence here challenges the way brands can interact with people. This kind of engagement helps us connect deeply with consumers and inspire them to rethink their habits. In what ways do product designs influence not just consumer choice but broader behavior? That's an essential question. When an adult smoker considers switching, it's not just a product change but it's a lifestyle shift. That's why design plays such a critical role. From day one, we've focused on making IQOS not just functional but seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Our device is something people carry, use, and interact with regularly, so its look, feel, and emotional resonance matter. If the design can support and enhance the user experience, it makes the transition from traditional smoking to smoke-free alternatives smoother and more appealing. Ultimately, design becomes a facilitator of change. With the CURIOUS X concept, how does curiosity-driven innovation influence not just product development but also consumer behavior? Curious X is a combination of curiosity and X, which stands for an experience that's clearly unexpected—and one you truly experience. The idea was to create something that, on one hand, celebrates the IQOS brand, which has become the choice of millions around the world, and on the other hand, celebrates our users. They've made an act of curiosity by moving from traditional cigarettes to smoke-free products. This is our way of creating a project that, throughout 2025, will travel around the world—powered by curiosity, reinvention, creativity, technology, art, and design. It's our way of honoring this incredible shift in the status quo that we've been driving. And we will return here to reflect on the results to celebrate the notion of progress that started right here in Milan over 10 years ago and continues today with this new collaboration with Seletti.
Web Release
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Web Release
IQOS Collaborates with Italian Design Brand SELETTI: Introducing the ‘Curious X: Sensorium Piazza' at Milan Design Week
In support of Philip Morris International's (NYSE: PM) mission to make cigarettes obsolete, and to celebrate its ever-growing community of more than 32 million users worldwide – IQOS is proud to announce its collaboration with iconic design brand SELETTI at Milan Design Week. 'Curious X: Sensorium Piazza' – the new project that IQOS brings with the signature of SELETTI – is the name of the installation which will be available at Opificio 31, inside Tortona Rocks from April 7 to 13 2025. This bold reimagination of the traditional Italian Piazza is a multisensory space where people will meet, converse and connect. The installation bridges the physical and digital worlds, creating an unexpected dimension where art and technology intertwine to create meaningful and extraordinary interactions. 'Our collaboration with SELETTI is driven by the shared belief that curiosity paves the way to groundbreaking creativity which inspires us to connect, explore new possibilities beyond the limits and challenge the status quo. Being forever curious at IQOS is what ultimately enables our quest for the continuous development of better smoke-free alternatives versus smoking,' said Stefano Volpetti, PMI's President of Smoke-Free Products & Chief Consumer Officer. The project also marks the debut of the new experiential platform IQOS Curious X, intended to deliver inspiring experiences to the brand's ever-growing community of adult consumers. Curiosity—the engine of creativity and innovation—is at the heart of the journey experienced by the over 32 million users of IQOS globally. Curiosity is at the core of IQOS' quest to continuously innovate for the better, and this will be brought to life through a yearlong collaboration with SELETTI. The Piazza becomes an invitation to be curious and is influenced by SELETTI's approach—between classic and contemporary aesthetics and IQOS' passion to evolve beyond the ordinary. Through a multi-platform installation, featuring dynamic technologies and an ever-changing digital canvas molded by real-life interactions, the Piazza will transform itself from day to night into an archive of human connections—processing the memories, voices, and figures of those who pass through the exhibit. Paying homage to the bold contrasts and pop reinterpretations typical of SELETTI's work while at the same time experimenting with innovative codes, Sensorium Piazza transforms each guest from spectator to main character. '(R)evolution is our primary philosophy. It is a philosophy that makes us think in a new way. It is precisely this philosophy that has allowed us to involve other product sectors. Creativity is essentially innovation. You always have to do something that no one has ever done before,' said Stefano Seletti, SELETTI's Creative Director & CEO. Curious X: Sensorium Piazza will be staged at Opificio 31, inside Tortona Rocks, open to visitors from April 8 to 13 2025 from 10:00 to 21:00 CEST each day. For adult smokers looking for more information on smoke-free alternatives to continued smoking, please visit IMPORTANT INFORMATION: IQOS is not risk-free and provides nicotine, which is addictive. Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future Philip Morris International is a leading international tobacco company, actively delivering a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products. Since 2008, PMI has invested over USD 14 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate, and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match—a leader in oral nicotine delivery—creating a global smoke-free champion led by the companies' IQOS and ZYN brands. Following a robust science-based review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the marketing of Swedish Match's General snus and ZYN nicotine pouches and versions of PMI's IQOS devices and consumables—the first-ever such authorizations in their respective categories. Versions of IQOS devices and consumables and General snus also obtained the first-ever Modified Risk Tobacco Product authorizations from the FDA. As of December 31, 2024, PMI's smoke-free products were available for sale in 95 markets, and PMI estimates that 38.6 million adults around the world use PMI's smoke-free products. The smoke-free business accounted for approximately 39% of PMI's total full-year 2024 net revenues. With a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, PMI has a long-term ambition to expand into wellness and healthcare areas and aims to enhance life through the delivery of seamless health experiences. References to 'PMI,' 'we,' 'our,' and 'us' mean Philip Morris International Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit and
