Un cumpleaños, una manzana, historias interminables

Marlene® turns thirty, and to celebrate this important anniversary, it has launched a creative contest inviting consumers to look at apples with new eyes and to share their connection to the fruit through art, cuisine, music, and literature. The competition, which involved thousands of people around the world, was an opportunity to collect authentic works and stories that fused childhood memories, fragments of life, and intimate reflections on the changing seasons: South Tyrolean apples, children of the Alps, have thus transformed from simple fruits into inspiring muses, symbols of universal values ​​and emotions.

A project that continues to live

The many entries received as a result of the contest will also be shared with consumers: the best creations from the art section will be reproduced on apple labels and packaging, literary texts will be promoted through Marlene®'s social media channels, the winning song will be featured in the brand's radio commercial, while the winning culinary entry will be reinterpreted in a fine dining style, along with other selected recipes, by chef Norbert Niederkofler, three Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star for sustainability. Finally, the project will also be brought to life through displays, information totems, and dedicated hostesses at numerous in-store and roadshow initiatives.

The winners have their say

Beyond the beauty and creativity of the works submitted to the Marlene® competition, the testimonies of some participants were particularly touching. Ida Eugenia Scalia, originally from Sicily but living in the Marche region by adoption, and the overall winner of the competition, stated: "The contest allowed me to return to my favorite world, where art and emotion meet. The apple ignited a spark in me, allowing me to create a work that invites us to rediscover our profound connection with nature." Gabriel Felipe Cruz Zúñiga, a young hotel management student and winner of the cooking category, commented: "The apples themselves inspired me, with their colors and scents, along with the memories and flavors my grandmother passed on to me." Leonardo Mantelli, on the other hand, chose music to describe the apple: "The inspiration came from my memories: homemade juice, my grandmother's sweets, simple gestures that endure over time. I imagined the apple as a thread connecting all of this to nature and the seasons. It's a light-hearted piece that aims to make you smile and create an emotional connection." Marialaura Ceribelli, winner of the literature category and a retired teacher, entered the contest to share how Marlene® has accompanied the happy moments of her life: "My mother raised me to appreciate the small joys of everyday life, and the apple was one of them." Finally, Marian Virginia Fernández Prado, winner of the art category, saw her participation as a deeply personal gesture. Inspired by Cézanne's apples, in her work the fruit becomes a symbol of life, legacy, and continuity. "The work reminds us that we are part of the earth, that the organic and the human are not separate, and that tradition can continue through a contemporary language," she said. The competition winners were rewarded with authentic experiences in the heart of Alto Adige-Südtirol, including stays at Red Rooster agritourisms run by the Marlene® apple growers themselves. In these locations, immersed in Alpine nature, they will meet the custodians of these fruits and learn all the secrets of cultivation and the terroir. The winner of the cooking category will also participate in an internship at Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, alongside the renowned chef: a unique experience that can transform a passion into a concrete opportunity for growth.