It took a few minutes to process what we saw. An image never seen in history appeared before our eyes. An icon that is perhaps an indication of how much our society has changed definitively.
On October 10th Pope Francis will be in Assisi to celebrate the canonization of Carlo Acutis, future patron of the Internet.
We at Hydrogen are also interested in him. His message for a peaceful computer system should appeal to any communication figure. And something singular happened …
He was born in 1991 from two exponents of the Milanese bourgeoisie.
From an early age, he shows a marked sensitivity towards religion and Christian values.
Always ready to help others and those most in need, he is also distinguished by the great interest he had for the network. He even starts creating social websites. It is no coincidence that he will also be appointed Patron of the web.
He died suddenly in 2006 of galloping leukemia.
Immediately the people close to him mobilized to spread the message of faith launched by the boy. His example also reached the ears of the Pope who opened a canonization process for him.
Now it’s official, he’ll be declared a Saint by the end of the month.
Usually, the body of a saint is exposed to public veneration in a glass case.
This is what happened to Carlo Acutis. On October 1st the Bishop of Assisi discovered the boy’s new tomb where the body is clearly visible so that anyone can go to pray.
The video of the event went around the web and was seen by hundreds of millions of people.
We observed a young man whose life and example will inspire millions of young people around the world. They will rely on him, as they are the same age and new web patron.
He certainly wears casual, modern clothes like any boy his age.
However, we have noticed something even more unique. For the first time in history, the clothes of a Catholic Saint are branded.
In particular, today’s Saints wear Nike shoes and North Sails sweatshirts.
We do not know if the choice to make a Saint wear two famous brands was dictated by naivety.
We also wondered if Nike and North Sails are aware that they have become the brands of one of the figures who are receiving the attention of millions of Catholics around the world these days.
Typically, an advertisement with such high performance costs brands several million euros. Even just to pay for the testimonials.
It is difficult to think that the marketing process can even imagine a similar activity.
It’s hard to believe that any company could ever premeditate an involuntary campaign like this.
The scale of this event highlights how brands are an integral part of our life. Sometimes we don’t even realize it.
It happened to us but above all to the companies concerned: we have not noticed that the new patron of the Internet is an unwitting testimonial of their brands.
Here is the new Samothrace-winged Swoosh transforms into angel wings.
