Barilla Has Found a Way to Bring People to the Same Table, Enjoying Mealtimes

New Barilla campaign by creative agency LePub showcases the brand's recipe for togetherness in the face of daily distractions during mealtimes through its iconic Barilla Classic pasta. 

In a time where families around the world often live at fast-pace, surrounded by distractions which prevent them from experiencing joyous mealtimes together, Barilla’s new campaign showcases the perfect way to reconnect with loved ones.  

Distractions during lunch or dinner times prevent family members from reconnecting with each other: modern life disconnection is increasingly present in people's lives and ends up isolating us from the people we love. 

Research** led by the pasta brand showed that almost half of global consumers (49%) believe they would feel an increase in happiness if they were able to spend more time with loved ones. Channelling the iconic Italian inventiveness to create meals everyone can share is a sure way to promote togetherness, with a third of the population (36%) confirming they feel closer to their dining guests when everyone is eating the same food.

Italian style can be the ultimate inspiration for tasty and easy home cooked dishes, made with few, simple and tasty ingredients. Barilla Classic pasta range and its variety of pasta shapes is a great base to get creative juices flowing and create hearty meals for friends and family. 

Leveraging the power of Italian creativity to endorse families’ togetherness around the table, is Barilla’s trademark sign of love. 

“As a brand, we feel strongly that food brings people together and have made it our mission to promote pasta as a sign of love to share. Where movements such as digital detoxes can seem like a big step to make for many, at Barilla we hope that this campaign can empower people to be more present by challenging themselves to be inventive in the kitchen and create memorable moments that facilitate togetherness.” commented Ilaria Lodigiani, chief marketing officer, Barilla.

“Data findings have confirmed that people are regularly distracted during their daily meals and have provided a strong starting point for our creativity. Italian’s ritual of eating together around a table stems from our culture. Tables become a space to share opinions, open conversations, socialise and connect, and it’s an important way of honouring not only the food but also the togetherness. Life happens also around a table, the place that turns the essential act of eating into a celebration of life” said Bruno Bertelli global CEO LePub, global CCO Publicis Worldwide, CCO Publicis Groupe Italy. 

The campaign brings the story of the union to life: on a TV in the living room, a lonely cartoon character sobs in front of an empty sofa, in the bedroom a console has been abandoned, on a kitchen table a phone rings. No one takes care of them. Why? They are all at the table eating an incredible plate of Barilla pasta together. 

Taking inspiration from the cinematography of the ‘80s classics, the TVC aims to create a sense of wonder as the camera explores an empty house, floating from room to room, like a curious visitor. Along the way, the camera discovers lonely distractions that give “clues” to the family members and friends that are found around the table later. 

“Every good story is based on a profound reality. That's the cinematic approach we wanted in this campaign: to be more creatively positive than critical. Barilla is a global icon, and we dared to tackle a sensitive issue of our time. We 

wanted our storytelling to put our audience on the edge of their seats and let them discover, almost in real time, a succession of unexpected and surprising creative moments, some with a pinch of smiling emotion, others more impressive... and to marvel more and more...Barilla owns a secret, perpetrated since 1877, that brings everybody together, preserving qualitative time of reconnection, around the perfect Italian recipe becoming the bond between everyone.” commented Xavier Mairesse, film director. 

Barilla Classic Campaign will be a fully integrated ecosystem with a strong digital approach, aimed at bringing to life Barilla Italian genius and originality that, with simple gestures, inspires people to enjoy life together. The campaign will be launched on TVC, digital and OOH starting from July 31st 2023.

Key data:  

• 55% of consumers want to spend more time with family and friends this year  
• 49% consumers believe they would feel an increase in happiness if they were able to spend more time with loved ones 36% confirming they feel closer to their dining guests when everyone is eating the same food 

**(All statistics sourced from a survey by global market leader 3Gem of 2000 respondents was carried out between 10th – 17th February 2023).