MILAN, Italy—Fresh from the successful launch here of its smoke-free campaign “IQOS Curious X”, a Philip Morris International (PMI) executive revealed further plans to partner with artists and designers to “challenge the status quo” and continuously innovate toward a smoke-free future.

PMI President of Smoke-Free Products and Chief Consumer Officer Stefano Volpetti (PMI photos)

Stefano Volpetti, PMI President of Smoke-Free Products and Chief Consumer Officer, said during last Monday’s press conference for PMI’s and Italian designer SELETTI’s collaboration entitled “Curious X: Sensorium Piazza” that the campaign will bring more brand collaborators from 20 countries this year.

“Throughout 2025, IQOS Curious X will bring together other local brand collaborators from more than 20 countries in the fields of art and design to challenge the conventions of creativity by building something truly unexpected and exemplify what is achievable when one remains curious,” he stressed.

PMI’s collaboration with the SELETTI design house will also lead to an “innovative product design.”

“Later this year we will be launching a very special limited-edition IQOS ILUMA i device—designed by Stefano Seletti himself… first in Japan, followed by the rest of the world,” Volpetti announced.

Aside from partnering with various designers from 20 different countries, the PMI executive also said that the company will conclude 2025 with a “crescendo celebratory event in autumn” in Milan.

The event “will be an opportunity to share with the public the results and experiences collected along the way, the opportunity to meet some of our game-changing collaborators as well as a few other special surprises.”

PMI launched the “Curious X: Sensorium Piazza” exhibit on April 7 at the Opificio 31 inside Tortona Rocks.

The exhibit reinvented and reimagined the traditional Italian piazza with modern installations, using elements of lights, colors, and textures, as well as digital technology.

Volpetti said the exhibit showcased not only innovation, but also the concept of curiosity, which drove PMI “to challenge the status quo as we know it and to continuously improve.”

“In our case, it was curiosity that guided the research and development of combustion-free alternatives, such as IQOS, different from traditional smoking products. The promise of IQOS is to never stop reinventing itself, with the aim of continuously transforming consumer experiences,” he added.

But challenging the status quo meant not only coming up with innovative products, the PMI official stressed, as it also meant changing the way the company works by having a vision for the future.

“With our combustion-free products, we have done just that: we have changed the way people

consume nicotine, offering a valid alternative,” he said, adding also that consumer feedback is at the center of everything they do in PMI.

“It is essential to understand and address the needs of adult smokers who are looking for better alternatives to smoking, and we will continue to do so by ensuring that the constant innovation we bring to our products is aligned with the expectations and preferences of our consumers,” Volpetti assured.