Barilla responded to Lockdown with Virtually Perfect – a celebration of Italian food and its power to bring people together.

When Lockdown shelved Barilla’s plans for a summer of experiential, the brand needed to find a new short-term campaign aligning closely with the needs of its consumers. But with new routines, new emotions, and new ways of interacting and shopping, consumers themselves had changed. Barilla’s Agency, Bray Leino, worked with the Client to develop a response which recognised both the immediate changes in the market and the long-term positioning of the brand.

Italian food has always been about bringing people together. With the help of Gennaro Contaldo and the Chiappa sisters, Barilla invited the nation to a big pasta cookalong, helping reconnect families and friends around the dinner table, digitally.

Groups of families and friends followed the celebrity-led cookalong with their own virtual dinner parties, sharing photos of their video-link feasts for a chance to win a 1:1 tuition with Gennaro.

The event, advertised through paid media on Facebook and Mumsnet, generated over 600,000 total engagements.

A relevant and engaging response to an unprecedented circumstance, Virtually Perfect drove brand awareness, demonstrated Barilla’s values, and set the brand apart from competitors.

To watch the video: https://www.facebook.com/BarillaUK/videos/278184039989033

For more info contact Bray Leino team at Austen Donnellan, New Business Director adonnellan@brayleino.co.uk