If you have been on Instagram, TikTok, or even LinkedIn lately, you may have noticed the trend towards astrology. While some may consider it a bit of a joke, there is a rich and vibrant tradition in many cultures to look to the stars for answers. For Montegrappa, a company built on ingenuity and finding new ways to market old favorites, it was a natural fit to use their Zero line to brand the Zodiac for the Gen Z crowd as well as their parents.
The Zero silhouette is a slim pen made from Montegrapphite resin and stainless steel, giving this pen a streamlined shape without too much weight. Each pen is a limited production with a and can be fitted with a 14-karat gold nib to provide the same luxury Montegrappa’s known for at a reasonable price point of around $850.
But it isn’t the features of the pen that make this one special, it is all in the details and customization to the theme that makes it a remarkable line by the Italian company. Each pen has a considered approach in how to best represent the corresponding astrological sign. For example, you have Pisces in a beautiful stratified acrylic reminiscent of salmon, while Leo is much more vibrant – almost fiery – in its colorway. Each pen seems to perfectly suit the Zodiac they’re made in honor of, while having their own individual and unique variety within the set itself. No pen is lost in the line-up, because each is so visually vibrant.
Most notably are the small details of branding for the Zodiacs that give this the Montegrappa touch that we are all familiar with. The nib and finial are both engraved with the astrological sign. It’s a small detail, but goes to show that every bit of real estate on a Montegrappa pen is considered without overdoing it.
With eleven options to come from this collection, it’s a brilliant move on behalf of Montegrappa to create a line of pens that each person has a connection to while also building a line-up with twelve offerings in it – an accomplishment for anyone who works in retail and knows how hard it can be to keep a line from becoming stale.
Overall, this Zero series has longevity and while we don’t know what astrologically-inspired pens Montegrappa has in mind for another collection, I’d suggest a Chinese Zodiac sister collection. I’d be curious how they’d do Year of the Tiger. Or, for that matter, Year of the Rat!
