Restoring national heritage sites may not be the most common of investments for a luxury brand, but it definitely does restore a sense of historical and national significance with that name.

The founder of Tod’s luxury leather goods and shoes has announced that he will pay the necessary EUR25 million (or $34 million) to restore Rome’s Colosseum.  Commenting on the link between one of Italy’s most famous buildings and his Italian fashion brand, Diego Della Valle said, “A monument that represents Italy in the world must be restored, and a company that represents Made in Italy stepped forward to say, ‘If you need us, we are here.’”

Diego Della Valle is widely known as Italy’s “shoe king.” His new association with Italy’s most famous tourist attraction is a sure fire way to entwine the image of his brand with the iconic symbol of Imperial Rome at its height, conjuring up impressions of longevity and closeness with Italy’s cultural past.  This may not actually be the case – with Tod’s being launched only fairly recently in 1978 – but it still allows the brand to promote the idea of tradition, heritage and “Italian-ness” of its own products.

As well as connoting Italy’s history, the Colosseum has played multiple roles in popular culture, in films, in particular “Gladiator”, music videos, TV episodes and video games. Whilst there is a great element of history associated with the Colosseum, it also allows the brand to have recognition in the modern day.

Valle’s decision to fund the restoration project should prove successful at attracting consumers to Tod’s products. This is the case for both Thetas and Lambdas. The timelessness of the Colosseum, and the architectural precision with which it was built, appeal to Thetas and Lambdas respectively. The Tod’s brand becomes an emblem of preserving Italy’s cultural heritage and a symbol for Italy today.