On World Pasta Day, October 25, Barilla partnered with the NYC subway to turn its iconic “Spaghetti n°5” pasta boxes into “Togetherness Tickets,” offering free subway rides. At a special Barilla newsstand near Hudson Yards station, commuters could pick up a pasta box that, with a tech insert, worked like a regular subway ticket to open the turnstiles.

More than just a ticket, Barilla’s campaign was an invitation for individuals to step out of their solitary routines and connect with their loved ones over a delicious pasta meal. According to a global survey commissioned by Barilla in August 2023, 60% of respondents confessed to eating alone more frequently over the past two years, forsaking shared meals for a quick bite on their own.

The primary reason cited for this shift toward solitary dining is busy work schedules. A significant 48% of people surveyed lamented that their working hours kept them from sharing meals with their loved ones, highlighting the impact of our on-the-go lifestyles on quality time spent with family and friends. Additionally, geographical distances from family and friends contributed to the rise of solitary meals, with 37% acknowledging it as a growing obstacle.

Although people are increasingly eating alone, as a resounding 63% of people admitted to eating solo during the week, a remarkable 93% believe that regularly sharing meals has a positive impact on relationships with friends and family. Building on this emerging desire, Barilla wanted to remind us of the impact of food and more specifically pasta, in fostering better human connections.

Sometimes a friend or family member is just a few subway stops away. So get together and share a pasta meal with a box of Barilla, which also serves as a “Togetherness Ticket.”

The “Togetherness” campaign is from creative agency LePub, media agency OMD, and strategic shop MSL. This activation video was directed by Tree Fort Films, NY.

Bruno Bertelli, global CEO at LePub, commented, “The project combined many elements to create something relevant. Thanks to technology, which allowed us to turn a box of pasta into a real subway ticket, we entered people’s daily lives in an extremely simple and natural way. For this activation, the centrality and role of the product is the key element that brings attention back to the meaningfulness of connections between people and their friends or family members. Pasta has always created an opportunity for people to spend time together, and ‘The Togetherness Ticket’ is an explicit and tangible invite to make it happen.”

To promote the initiative and invite people to celebrate World Pasta Day with their loved ones, Barilla involved world’s # 1 skier and seven-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin and Barilla ambassador since 2012.

Credits

Client Barilla Agency LePub Cristiana Boccassini, global chief creative officer; Francesco Poletti, chief creative officer; Selim Unlusoy, global head of artificial intelligence & executive creative director; Steaano Zanoni, creative director; Roberto Ardigo, associate creative director; Angela Celano, Matteo Gemelli, creative supervisors; Vincenzo Russo, jr. art director; Alessandro Traverso, jr. copywriter; Francesca Zedde, head of strategy; Antonio Jorgaqi, strategy director; Elisa Fiorentini, sr. strategist; Andrea Battista, data strategy director; Mauro Mazzei, global head of creative technology; Franceco Zazzera, chief production officer; Anna Sica, head of production; Arianna Messini, Matilde Bonanni, producers. Media Agency OMD Agency MSL Marco Fornaro, chief strategy officer; Matteo Mezzocolli, executive strategic planner. Video Production Tree Fort Films, NY Enrico Munarin. Video Mike “Dawsy” Dawson, Mikaela Shiffrin’s videomaker; Tommasso Bianchi, Mikaela Shiffrin’s editor.

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