After the success achieved in 2019 with the campaign dedicated to pesto alla genovese, Barilla and IGPDecaux worked closely again on the launch of the historic Italian brand's new product.
The promotion moved along the lines of synesthesia between colours and flavours, playing with the green of basil and the yellow of lemon to bring to mind the freshness of the two main ingredients of the new Barilla pesto.
Binary, in a more literal sense, was also the point of departure or arrival for the campaign's viewers: Barilla chose, for its Out Of Home creativity, a station domination involving the Milan Central underground station.
The choice was no coincidence: the creations found their place in the platform and mezzanine areas of the green M2 line and the yellow M3 line, renamed for the occasion to the green basil M2 line and the lemon yellow M3 line, which converge at Milano Centrale in the same way as the two ingredients are found in the new pesto.
The freshness of the product also returns in the stylistic approach adopted. The copies that accompanied the large visual installations were taken from a number of catchphrases that have depopulated the web, readjusting them to the context.
For example, 'When life gives you lemons', the incipit of several more or less serious motivational sentences, became 'If life gives you lemons, try them with pesto'. Even more popular (many posts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn mentioned it) was the meme '. Signora, i limoni. Signoraaa!", which perfectly matched the mood sought by Barilla for its communication.
As well as arousing curiosity around the new pesto, the aim of the station domination was to invite passers-by to visit the Limonaria urbana, created by Barilla in Piazza Duomo, an ad hoc installation with masterclasses dedicated to Italian cuisine and craftsmanship.
The campaign was on air from 8 to 21 May and the public response was overwhelmingly favourable. Milano Centrale is one of the busiest stations and the numerous testimonials released on social networks demonstrate the success of an initiative characterised by a simple, fresh and genuine creativity, in line with the values of the brand and the target that Barilla wanted to intercept.
