Italian brand Barilla seeks to reposition itself on a global level, aiming to highlight the real meaning of preparing a dish for someone, via a global brand campaign signed by the agency Publicis Italy. The campaign will be launched in 40 countries, spreading the word that some hard-to-pronounce statements can be expressed through the kind act of preparing a dish of pasta for someone you care about. The initiative puts emotions at the center of the company’s communication, marking a new strategic path for the brand worldwide.

Through this campaign, Barilla aims to reach the hearts of consumers by showing them how a simple dish can carry more than just food within. Supported by a short video titled “A Sign of Love,” the brand highlights that, oftentimes, preparing a dish for someone who’s close to your heart can express more than care and attention. Sometimes, communicating feelings such as love or saying sorry can be hard, but not impossible: One can manifest their emotions through a plate of delicious pasta, making expressions such as “I love you,” “I missed you,” or “Sorry, it’s my fault” easier to convey.

The campaign brings classic family stories to the forefront, using a contemporary flavor to narrate them. The film introduces us to several families, each with its own particularities. “Barilla. A sign of love” is the new mantra and it is precisely such signs and gestures that allow the protagonists of the story to find each other, to communicate, and experience emotions that will strengthen their relationships.

Gianluca Di Tondo, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Barilla, said: “This new global brand position marks a historic moment for Barilla. The brand has managed to rediscover the classicism of its most iconic campaigns while adapting it perfectly to the challenges of our time. Today we all need to feel more human, closer, and a sign of love can make all the difference.”

Cristiana Boccassini, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Italy, added: “It is a privilege to work with Barilla, one of the most loved and well-known Italian brands in the world, with an extraordinary history that continues to evolve, always leaving its mark. It is a love brand with which we feel we have a unique affinity in terms of values and growth path, and we are more than happy to support our client-facing a new exiting global challenge.”

The film is directed by Saverio Costanzo, known for having directed the Italian-American TV series “My Brilliant Friend” and for the film “The Solitude of Prime Numbers,” for which he was nominated for a David di Donatello Award. To strengthen the film’s emotional impact, Noa’s “Beautiful that Way” song was chosen, a reinterpretation of the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning movie “La Vita è Bella.”

The brand announced the strategic and creative partnership with Publicis Italy at a global level for the creation, data strategy, and production of communication in the pasta and ready-made sauces categories. The new brand strategic positioning will be visible in a new communication platform across all brand’s touchpoints — digital, social, OOH, and retail.

Credits:

Client: Barilla

Agency: Publicis Italy

Global Chief Creative Officer Publicis WW: Bruno Bertelli

CCO Publicis Italy: Cristiana Boccassini

Executive Creative Director: Riccardo Fregoso

Creative Director / Copywriter: Stefano Battistelli

Creative Director / Art Director: Marco Viganò

Associate Creative Director / Copywriter: Stefano Zanoni

Creative supervisor / Art Director: Roberto Ardigò

Art director: Giulia Di Filippo

Digital Art Director: Mattia Leporale

Digital Copywriter: Jacopo Trotta

Chief Strategy Officer: Bela Ziemann

Strategy Director: Monica Radulescu

Strategy Director: Ornella Ciot

Senior Digital Strategist: Margherita Tuvo

Global Client Service Director: David Pagnoni

Client Service Director: Federica Papetti

Account Supervisor: Alberto De Simone

Account Manager: Dario Gambera

Head of Social: Alessandro Bochicchio

Head of TV Production: Francesca Zazzera

TV Producer: Alessio Zazzera, Antonella Capella

Art Buyer: Caterina Collesano

 

BRW FILMLAND

Chairman: Marco Bussinello

Executive Producer: Luca Orlando

Head of Production: Claudio Cicoli

Production Manager: Cristina De Rossi

Production Coordinator: Daniela Fabrizio

Line Producer – Live action: Liza Fisher Foresi

Asst. Producer – Live action: Irene Rei

Line Producer – Food: Simona Ferraro

Production Manager – Food: Marco Fazio

 

 

MAIN CREW – Live Action

Director: Saverio Costanzo

DOP: Fabio Cianchetti

Set Designer: Luca Merlini

Set Decorator: Marcella Galeone

Stylist: Amelianna Loiacono

Ass Stylist: Gianluca Francese

Food Stylist: Francesca Alberoni

 

MAIN CREW – Food

Director/DOP: Luca Robecchi

 

 

VIDEO POST PRODUCTION

Tex s.r.l.

Post Production Supervisor: Nicola Scarpinato

Editor: Fabrizio Squeo, Stuart Greenwald

Flame Artist: Davide Maccagni, Jacopo Ardit

Colorist: Andrea Baracca – Daniel Pallucca

 

Exchanges Vfx s.r.l.

Vfx Supervisor: Marco Negri e Mirko de Angelis

Producer: Andrea Valeria Peri

Compositor:

Roberta Longo, Elena Iankov, Guido Tognoni. Paolo Gerosa

 

MUSIC

ROW

Title: Beautiful That Way

Authors: Nicola Piovani, Gil Dor, Achinoam Nini

Performer: Noa

Music Supervision and re-recording: Ferdinando Arnò – quiet, please!

Executive Producer: Alessandra Teatini – Luca Lo Tito

Licensing: quiet, please!

Publishing: Tentacoli Edizioni Musicali

 

ITA

Title: Hymne

Author: Evanghelos Papathanassiou

Re-Recording: Sizzer

Music Supervision: Michael Bertoldini

Executive Producer: Michiel Marsman

Publishing:  Emi Music Publishing Ltd / Sony Music Publishing (Italy) Srl

 

Sound

Mix: Screenplay