Àltima introduces a new service for customizable cremation urns with images
The catalan company is the first in the country to offer this service, which allows for the customization of urns with images of themes such as football, the Moreneta, Saint George, or with family album photos.
The new service caters to the growing trend of cremation, which reaches 37% in Catalonia and 42% in the province of Barcelona, according to data from Àltima.
Barcelona, October 30, 2014.– The funeral group Àltima has introduced a new model of customizable cremation urns with images, the first of its kind in the country. This service responds to the increasing demand for cremation, which this year has already reached 37% in Catalonia and 42% in the province of Barcelona, according to Àltima. Àltima, the leading Catalan funeral company, manages 27 funeral homes, six crematorium complexes, and 16 public cemeteries primarily in the provinces of Barcelona and Girona.
The new customizable urn service with vinyl offers 16 different thematic designs: sports—flags of teams such as Barça, Espanyol, or Real Madrid—traditions—the Moreneta, Saint George—music, religion, nature, and it will also offer the option to decorate them with photos chosen by the family. “The goal is to offer an option that allows for honoring the loved one with motifs that reflect their hobbies, tastes, or emotions,” explains Josep Ventura, Director of Funeral Services at Àltima. This service complements the customizable coffins with images that Àltima introduced in 2013. “These are pioneering and very innovative services in Spain, but we believe that over time they will become established among the population, as has happened with other services like live music at ceremonies,” adds Ventura. Indeed, music is one of the most well-received elements of funeral service personalization. Currently, more than half of Àltima’s funeral services in Catalonia include live musical pieces performed during the farewell ceremony.
Funeral Revolution Also in the Digital World:
Streaming Ceremonies and Digital Footprint Removal
The personalization of funeral services extends beyond products and has reached the world of the internet and social media. “Funeral service companies are attentive to societal evolution, and that’s why, for years, we have offered the option to consult and book services through our websites,” points out Josep Ventura. In this regard, Àltima has developed several leading-edge digital services. On one hand, the company has installed a service to stream the funeral ceremony live over the internet. “This service arises from a reality in our increasingly globalized and multicultural society, where new forms of communication via the web are key to connecting families living in different locations,” explains the Director of Funeral Services at Àltima. The company has cameras installed at the Mediterranean chapel of the Tanatori Ronda de Dalt in Barcelona and at the Comarcal Cemetery Parc de Roques Blanques, allowing live viewing of the ceremony and the introduction of the coffin into the crematory. Families will be able to view the entire process from a computer, wherever they are, through a link provided. The service is expected to launch before the end of the year.
On the other hand, Àltima offers the possibility to erase the deceased’s digital footprint. The company handles the search for all existing online information and provides the family with the option to delete the deceased’s profiles and electronic accounts.
Planning Your Own Funeral is Possible
The range of options for preparing a funeral is expanding. “In most cases, however, these details are not planned in advance, as death remains a taboo in our society,” says Josep Ventura of Àltima. Nonetheless, for those who wish to decide their own funeral arrangements, the group offers a service called “My Will,” which allows for the pre-arrangement of the farewell ceremony—choosing the music, the coffin, the type of burial, and other elements—thus facilitating decision-making for family and friends at the time of death.