Cook pasta in a way that shows love to the planet. This is the heart of Barilla’s new campaign, Passive Cooking, by Publicis Italy/LePub, created in collaboration with Toiletpaper, the creative collective and image-only magazine founded by artist, Maurizio Cattelan, and photographer, Pierpaolo Ferrari.
The global brand campaign went live on October 5 and underlines Barilla’s sign-off, Barilla. A Sign of Love.
The campaign aims to inspire consumers around the world to take part in having a beneficial impact on the planet through simple actions. It invites people to embrace positive behaviours by changing their kitchen habits, while educating pasta lovers on a new way of enjoying pasta as a Sign of love for the planet: a global message that combines Italian tradition and technology for sustainability.
The idea revolves around an ancient cooking technique renown as Passive Cooking, an alternative and more sustainable way of cooking pasta that could transform the preparation process by encouraging consumers to adopt practices that are both energy-saving and efficient. The process is as follows: instead of cooking pasta in boiling water for 10 mins, you turn off the heat after two minutes of boiling and let pasta sit in hot water, covering the pot with a lid and following the suggested passive cooking time. Households that embrace this approach can have a positive impact on the environment while saving energy and cutting down their carbon footprint through simple gestures at home.
The campaign includes a device, the Passive Cooker, a tech prototype invented by Le Garage, Publicis Italy/LePub tech ideation studio, used with software that can be reinterpreted, honed, or advanced by everyone who wants to take on the challenge. The tool placed on top of a pot of boiling water and connected to a smartphone through its own app, can accurately measure the optimal cooking time by sending an alert when pasta is ready to serve. The campaign’s WhatsApp Bot service includes step-by-step instructions available to anyone who wants to embrace the Passive Cooking method, solve questions and share their experiences.
One portion of pasta may not seem like much but with 438 million ones served every day, that slight change can have a significant environmental impact on a global basis [1]. The open-source device can help pasta lovers to save energy by reducing up to 80% of CO2 emissions while cooking [2].
“Partnering with Barilla for this new campaign was an incredible opportunity to embrace a method that has been around for centuries – and is a real sign of love for the planet. We have created an open-source tech prototype that can help everyone to reduce their environmental impact along with a WhatsApp BOT. This demonstrates how technology can be a meaningful tool that enhances everyday habits and help make a difference. With their unconventional creativity, TOILETPAPER has been the perfect partner to combine this project’s KPIs. Their insouciant aesthetic gives this campaign the playful yet thoughtful angle that fits Barilla’s approach to this project,” explained Bruno Bertelli, global chief executive offiver of Le Pub, global chief creative officer of Publicis Worldwide and chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe Italy.
The campaign’s unconventional visual identity was developed with TOILETPAPER, highlighting the brand’s inventiveness and “Italian genius”.
“The essence of TOILETPAPER is to have no limits and to be able to meet even apparently very distant worlds,” stated Maurizio Cattelan.
“When the magazine was born ten years ago, we never imagined that those images, often disturbing, unsettling, could escape from the pages giving rise to unexpected collaborations just like this one,” added Pierpaolo Ferrari.
The campaign is being amplified in social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube) and with influencers partnerships.
[1] Source: IPO, International Pasta Organization, 2019
[2] Barilla, “The passive pasta cooking method”, prepared by LCE and verified by DNV
Note: This product is a prototype not available to mass markets
Credits:
Agency: Publicis Italy
Global Chief Creative Officer Publicis WW: Bruno Bertelli
Chief Creative Officers Publicis Italy: Cristiana Boccassini & Mihnea Gheorghiu
Global Executive Creative Directosr: Riccardo Fregoso, Selim Unlusoy & Andrey Tyukavkin
Associate Creative Directors: Stefano Zanoni, Roberto Ardigò, Fernando Dominguez & Giulio Frittaion
Head of Strategy: Niccolò Rigo
Senior Digital Strategist: Margherita Tuvo
Senior Experience Strategist: Antonio Jorgaqi
Global Client Service Director: Simona Coletta
Groupe Client Service Director: Federica Papetti
Account Supervisor: Roberta Di Ponzio
Account Executive: Giovanni Spadola
Global Head of PR & Communication: Isabella Cecconi
Digital PR Manager: Carol Verde
Head of Social & Content: Valentina Salaro
Senior Content Manager: Vincenzo Di Carlo
Social Media Manager: Nicolò Russo
Chief Creation Officer: Francesca Zazzera
Head of Video Production: Anna Sica
Producer: Arianna Messina
Head of Digital Production: Vittorio Cafiero
Digital Project Manager: Ornella Scarparo
Head of Creative Technology: Mauro Mazzei
Digital Designer: Federica Muscillo
Production & Print Managers: Tina Paolella, Daniela Inglieri
Progress Managers: Elisa Petrone, Alessia Cornali, Silvia Bozzari
Production: Toiletpaper
Creative Direction & Photography: Toiletpaper Magazine
Art Director: Antonio Colomboni
Set Designer: Michela Natella
Set Designer Assistant: Giulia Varisco
Stylist: Elisa Zaccanti
Stylist Assistant: Bianca Luini
Hair & Make up: Lorenza Zavatta
Video Director: Caterina Viganò
Video Assistant: Tommaso Fenu
Compositing & Colour: Isabella Fornasiero
Photography Assistant 1: Andrea Ceppi
Photography Assistant 2: Matilde Martino
Producer: Stefania Biliato
Production Assistants: Dina Murati & Antonio Ordan
Photography Post Production: Anna Tallone
Device Creative Technology: Le Garage
Video Post Production: Prodigious
Producer: Alfredo Beretta
Editors: Andrea Otto, Enrico Munarini & Tommaso Bianchi
Music: Big Kahuna
Author: Werner Tautz
Master: Extreme Music
Music Company: Extreme Music
Publisher: Extreme Music
Audio Post: Screenplay
Sound Engeneer: Daniele Sola
Device Design: Robilant Associati
Device Production: CABINAA
Co-Founders: Gianmarco Prizzi & Marco Miscioscia
Head of Engineering: Bruno Luziatelli
PR Strategy: MSL
