PLUG Creativity
PLUG Creativity is a Turin-based non-profit cultural association running a portfolio of social-communication-design programs — including the international Posterheroes contest, Torino Graphic Days festival, Print Club Torino laboratory, and Fa bene. food-waste project — for designers, students, and Turin communities, funded by donations, merchandise, and institutional grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersTurin, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PLUG Creativity does
PLUG Creativity is an Italian non-profit cultural association (Associazione Culturale non profit PLUG), founded in Turin in 2010 and operating with approximately 6 active members plus a 4-person Board of Directors. The organization applies a Systemic Design methodology, with team members drawn from the Politecnico di Torino, to run a portfolio of five interconnected social-communication-design programs: Posterheroes (an international graphic-design contest that has run 12+ editions and received 20,000+ submissions from 101 countries); Il Calendario Posterheroes (an annual calendar produced with paper company Favini); Fa bene. (a food-waste redistribution project active in 6 Turin neighborhood markets in partnership with Comitato S-nodi); Print Club Torino (a printing and graphic experimentation laboratory co-founded with Try Again Lab in 2015/2016); and Torino Graphic Days (a visual communication festival co-curated with multiple Turin institutions, drawing 5,178 visitors across 9 locations and 4,000 m² of exhibition space in a single edition).
The business model is non-commercial and multi-stream: suggested PayPal donations at €25 (junior supporter) and €50 (senior supporter) tiers plus free-form donations eligible for Italian IRPEF tax deductions; merchandise and calendar sales; and government/institutional grants (e.g., a €14,000 contribution from Camera di Commercio di Torino for the Casa Cina project). Distribution is hybrid — international for Posterheroes (open calls and global jury), and physical/community-based in Turin for Torino Graphic Days, Print Club Torino, and Fa bene. The customer base is participants rather than payers: designers, illustrators, students, and creative professionals globally engage with contests, while local Turin communities engage with food-market and festival programming.
PLUG is anchored by a deep institutional partnership network that includes Politecnico di Torino, Commissione Nazionale Italiana per l'Unesco, Centro Unesco Torino, Compagnia di San Paolo, Camera di Commercio di Torino, Rai (media partner), Favini (industrial co-producer), and Goethe Institut. Operating geographies are concentrated in Europe, with global reach for the Posterheroes contest and Italian/Turin-centric operations for Fa bene., Print Club Torino, and Torino Graphic Days. The organization reports GDPR compliance, is GDPR compliant, and operates from c.so Vittorio Emanuele II, 25, 10125 Turin, hosted by MG2 Architetture. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or external equity investors are indicated; ownership is member-based.
PLUG Creativity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PLUG Creativity
- Legal name
- Associazione Culturale non profit PLUG
- Website
- https://plugcreativity.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PLUG Creativity is a Turin-based non-profit cultural association running a portfolio of social-communication-design programs — including the international Posterheroes contest, Torino Graphic Days festival, Print Club Torino laboratory, and Fa bene. food-waste project — for designers, students, and Turin communities, funded by donations, merchandise, and institutional grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PLUG Creativity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Non-profit Design Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD), Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ)
Keywords
Where PLUG Creativity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Turin
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PLUG Creativity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations: PLUG accepts donations through PayPal at specified amounts (€25 junior supporter, €50 senior supporter, or free amount). Italian law allows private individuals to deduct 26% of donations up to €30,000 annually from IRPEF, or deduct up to 10% of declared income up to €70,000 annually.
- Merchandise and Promotional Materials: PLUG generates revenue through selling promotional products such as catalogs and calendars featuring contest winners' artwork (e.g., Posterheroes calendars with 40 winning posters).
- Government and Institutional Grants: PLUG receives grants from government bodies and institutions. Camera di Commercio di Torino provided €14,000 contribution for the 'Casa Cina' project.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Junior supporter donation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Senior supporter donation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free amount donation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
PLUG Creativity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PLUG Creativity is a non-profit cultural association that organizes an international graphic design contest (Posterheroes), a food waste reduction and redistribution project in Turin markets (Fa bene.), a printing and graphic experimentation laboratory (Print Club Torino), an annual visual communication festival (Torino Graphic Days), and produces a calendar featuring winning contest posters. Activities are coordinated from its Turin headquarters under a horizontal, participatory governance model.
Product overview
PLUG Creativity is a non-profit cultural association operating as a platform of interconnected social communication design projects. Its portfolio includes five core offerings: Posterheroes (an international graphic design contest for social themes), Il calendario Posterheroes (an annual calendar featuring winning contest posters produced with Favini paper), Fa bene. (a food waste reduction and redistribution initiative in Turin markets), Print Club Torino (a printing and graphic experimentation laboratory), and Torino Graphic Days (an annual visual communication festival). The projects are interconnected—Posterheroes feeds content to the calendar product, Print Club Torino provides printing expertise for various initiatives, and Torino Graphic Days serves as a celebration platform for the creative community. The organization positions itself as an 'accelerator of creativity' focused on social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Posterheroes: International social communication design contest that gives voice to creatives worldwide on social and environmental themes
- Il Calendario Posterheroes
- Fa bene.
- Print Club Torino
- Torino Graphic Days
Products and services
- Posterheroes International contest for graphic design and social communication that invites creative participants worldwide to create posters on themes of social and environmental interest. The project selects 40 winners per edition and has produced promotional materials including catalogs and calendars. Targeted at designers, illustrators, students, and enthusiasts in visual communication.
- Il calendario Posterheroes Annual calendar produced in collaboration with paper company Favini, featuring 40 winning posters from the Posterheroes contest. Each edition combines high-quality paper with finishing techniques to showcase social communication messages. Sold to supporters and design enthusiasts.
- Fa bene. Food waste reduction and social solidarity project operating in Turin neighborhood markets that collects surplus food donations and redistributes them to families in economic difficulty in exchange for community service actions. Operates across 6 markets in Turin districts in partnership with Comitato S-NODI and Cooperativa Sociale Liberitutti.
- Print Club Torino Printing and graphic experimentation laboratory combining innovative and traditional techniques, offering digital inkjet and laser printers, risograph printing, screen printing equipment, and manual finishing and bookbinding machinery for designers, illustrators, students, and enthusiasts.
- Torino Graphic Days Annual visual communication festival featuring workshops, talks, performances, exhibitions, markets, and events with international graphic design icons. The festival promotes the cultural value of graphic design and provides new creative and expressive stimuli. Single edition attracted 5,178 visitors across 9 city locations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,000+ posters received from 101 countries
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PLUG Creativity
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PLUG Creativity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PLUG Creativity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Print Club TorinocoreCo-founder of Print Club Torino printing laboratory with Try Again Lab (TAL). Print Club is a key project of PLUG focused on print experimentation.
- Comitato S-NODIcoreOperational manager of Fa bene food waste project. Partnered with PLUG since 2013 to develop community food redistribution initiative at Turin markets.
- Cooperativa Sociale LiberitutticoreSocial cooperative collaborating with PLUG on Fa bene project, providing operational support for food collection and redistribution.
- MG2 ArchitetturecoreHost organization providing office space at c.so Vittorio Emanuele II 25, Turin. PLUG headquarters operates c/o MG2 Architetture.
- Politecnico di TorinocoreAcademic institution providing systemic design expertise. Many PLUG members are faculty or students. Collaborated on Posterheroes, Torino Graphic Days, and Casa Cina project.
- Commissione Nazionale Italiana per l'UnescomajorUNESCO National Commission partner for Posterheroes social communication contest supporting international dialogue on social themes.
- Centro Unesco TorinomajorUNESCO Center in Turin partner supporting Posterheroes initiatives.
- FavinicorePaper company supporting Posterheroes contest since first edition. Produces Posterheroes calendars with high-quality papers and finishes from their collection.
- Compagnia di San PaolomajorFoundation providing financial support for Torino Graphic Days festival.
- Camera di Commercio di TorinomajorChamber of Commerce supporting Torino Graphic Days and provided €14,000 grant for Casa Cina project.
- Toolbox CoworkingminorMain partner for Torino Graphic Days providing venue and support.
- Goethe InstitutminorCultural institute supporting Torino Graphic Days festival.
- Fondazione per l'architettura TorinominorArchitecture foundation supporting Torino Graphic Days.
- Osservatorio Caritas TorinominorCaritas Turin Observatory supporting Fa bene food waste reduction project.
- Rete delle Case del QuartiereminorNetwork of neighborhood houses in Turin supporting Fa bene community project.
- Dublin Institute of DesignminorIrish design institute collaborating on Posterheroes and design week initiatives.
- LegambienteminorItalian environmental organization partnering on Posterheroes social communication projects.
- Slow Food ItaliaminorItalian branch of Slow Food movement partnering on Posterheroes initiatives.
- RaimajorItalian public broadcaster as media partner for Torino Graphic Days festival.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PLUG Creativity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pentagram: Largest independent design consultancy, operating across branding, editorial, and digital design globally — a broader incumbent in the same social communication and graphic design space PLUG occupies, though purely commercial rather than non-profit.
- AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale): Elite international body of graphic designers with global membership and events — a broader incumbent in the same graphic design community that PLUG engages through Posterheroes jurors and festival programming.
Direct peers
- Design Indaba: South African design festival, conference, and media platform that combines exhibitions, talks, and creative competitions — directly comparable to PLUG's Torino Graphic Days festival paired with the Posterheroes contest model.
- Art Directors Club (ADC): International organization running the ADC Awards and creative education programs for art directors and designers — directly comparable to PLUG's Posterheroes contest and jury-driven international creative recognition model.
- Fabrica: Italian communication research center operated by Benetton that runs creative residency programs and exhibitions focused on social communication design — closely comparable to PLUG's academic-linked, social-impact creative production model based in Italy.
- OFFF Festival: Annual design, motion, and creativity festival featuring workshops, talks, and exhibitions for the global creative community — comparable to Torino Graphic Days as a city-based, multi-format creative festival for designers and students.
- Type Directors Club (TDC): International typography and design organization that runs the TDC Awards and community programming — a direct peer to PLUG's design-contest-plus-community-association model focused on creative professionals.
- AIGA: U.S.-based professional association for designers that runs design competitions, conferences, and community programs — structurally similar to PLUG's combination of contests (Posterheroes) and community-building events (Torino Graphic Days) within the social communication design space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
PLUG Creativity social profiles
Digital presencePLUG Creativity compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
PLUG Creativity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PLUG Creativity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
PLUG Creativity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PLUG Creativity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PLUG Creativity
What does PLUG Creativity do?
PLUG Creativity is a non-profit cultural association that organizes an international graphic design contest (Posterheroes), a food waste reduction and redistribution project in Turin markets (Fa bene.), a printing and graphic experimentation laboratory (Print Club Torino), an annual visual communication festival (Torino Graphic Days), and produces a calendar featuring winning contest posters. Activities are coordinated from its Turin headquarters under a horizontal, participatory governance model.
Is PLUG Creativity a public or private company?
PLUG Creativity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PLUG Creativity founded?
PLUG Creativity was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PLUG Creativity based?
PLUG Creativity is headquartered in Turin, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does PLUG Creativity make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are merchandise and Promotional Materials and government and Institutional Grants.
Who are PLUG Creativity's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pentagram and AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale). Direct peers are Design Indaba, Art Directors Club (ADC), Fabrica, OFFF Festival, Type Directors Club (TDC) and AIGA.
Does PLUG Creativity have an API?
No public API is recorded for PLUG Creativity.
What industry is PLUG Creativity in?
PLUG Creativity's product category is Cultural Non-profit Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAD, Creative Concepting & Campaign Development, with a secondary code of MPAAAHAD, Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production). Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.