Why Barilla Wants to Stop the Scroll at Dinnertime
Dinnertime is under threat. As screen-based activities have encroached on more and more of our daily lives, research led by the pasta brand Barilla shows that sitting together round a table to eat together is becoming rarer.
The study* 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.
Created by LePub, the brand’s campaign brings this broad story to life in a film directed by Xavier Mairesse. Screens sit abandoned. In the living room, a lonely cartoon character sobs in front of an empty sofa, in the bedroom a console has been left alone, on a kitchen table a phone rings. No one takes care of them because everyone is at the table eating a plate of Barilla pasta together.
To hear the story of how the campaign got here, LBB’s Alex Reeves spoke to Ester Miozzo, global marketing / global brand equity and communication director at Barilla as well as LePub’s head of strategy Francesca Zedde and global executive creative director Selim Ünlüsoy.
LBB> What was the brief at the very start of this idea? Was the research on togetherness part of it then, or did you land on that idea later in the process?
Francesca Zedde, head of strategy, LePub> Our task was to connect Barilla with a new audience: young families who wanted to put better meals on the family table, but simply didn’t know how. We knew that dinnertime was challenging for them, that they considered it a chore rather than a moment to enjoy. But the keystone that inspired the creative development came from some consumer research that we did to understand them better. We found out that their biggest pain point was not that their food repertoire felt limited, but that they were struggling to find a meal solution that would help them get the family together. 75% of families said that they spent dinner scrolling through social media rather than eating together. They were distracted, disconnected. Sitting together around the table, without really being there. This gave us the inspiration for the campaign: remind them that meals are a chance for the family to come together and show them how Barilla can help with that.
LBB> What is it about pasta that makes it especially good at bringing people together?
Ester Miozzo, global marketing / global brand equity and communication director, Barilla> Pasta is ‘the icon’ of Italian food culture, that intimately means togetherness: because meals are emotional moments that enable people’s connections, and because Barilla always innovates to provide the most qualitative and inclusive products, to meet all tastes and nutritional needs around the world.
LBB> How did that lead to the idea of the film, showing the neglected screens and gadgets?
Selim Ünlüsoy, global executive creative director, LePub> We like to believe that LePub is “where brands meet culture”. This film is a clear manifestation of this promise. Strategy showed us that as our collective screentime grew, meal moments have become more disconnected than ever. Cue: our lonely devices. We decided to approach the film through the lens of the devices that are left behind to bring a captivating and interesting aspect to the narrative. This way, the audience is taken on a small journey in a typical house where you would usually find people attached to the devices, but this time with no one around. The journey ends with a discovery, a group of people of all ages around a bowl of spaghetti, almost immune to daily distractions.
LBB> How did you decide on the various scenes that you'd show while everyone's eating together?
Selim> The ‘distractions’ we featured are usual suspects in our lives. And let us be clear that neither the brand nor LePub is against the use of any of them. Yet as legendary designer Sir Jonathan Ive suggested, we may be using them all wrong – which refers to the constant use of them. In conceptualising the scenes, our goal was to provide a mirror to society – dare I call it – allowing viewers to reflect on their patterns and perhaps consider the profound moments they might be missing amidst these distractions.
LBB> What were the big challenges in making the film with Xavier Mairesse and how did you overcome them?
Selim> Working with Xavier is an absolute joy as he immerses himself entirely in the film as well as the brand. Balancing the narrative between the coldness of devices and the warmth of family moments was intricate. There were also logistical challenges, like shooting in multiple locations and ensuring the devices looked authentic and abandoned. Yet, Xavier's dedication, coupled with his flair for storytelling, helped smoothen these challenges.
LBB> Do you have a favourite moment or part of the finished campaign?
Selim> I love the fact that we as LePub go above and beyond in the crafting. And the fact that Barilla has the will and ability to support that is simply humbling. The cartoon scene could have been any character for example – even something stock. But no, we went on and licensed a global phenomenon like SpongeBob. Even that momentary cry had to be recorded by the original voice talent. Moreover, the little boy in the family wearing a T-shirt of SpongeBob looking over with his big eyes to the plate of pasta that the boy was eating could easily be my favourite subtlety.
*(All statistics sourced from a survey by global market leader 3Gem of 2000 respondents was carried out between 10th – 17th February 2023).
