The integrated communication campaign featuring the world champions of the Italian national volleyball team, led by coach Ferdinando De Giorgi, for the promotion of the Italian pasta supply chain has begun.
“Pasta: The Happiness Supplement”: this is the slogan that accompanies the promotion campaign of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, carried out by ISMEA – Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market in partnership with Fipav – Italian Volleyball Federation and in collaboration with Unione Italiana Food, to enhance the product par excellence of Made in Italy food and Unesco cultural heritage: pasta.
Pasta: The Happiness Supplement
A TV commercial filmed in the evocative retreat of Cavalese (TN), which from September will be on-air on national TV, along with a radio commercial and a series of reels and stories designed for social networks, featuring the entire men’s national volleyball team captained by Simone Giannelli, with the players in the unusual role of chefs led by the charismatic coach of the Italian national team De Giorgi.
The integrated media campaign is also completed with a series of print and online ads in major national generalist, sports, and food publications, and with a presence in the landmark events of Italian volleyball, such as the Italian Beach Volleyball Championship, Volleys3 for the promotion of volleyball in primary and secondary schools and sports clubs, and the Trofeo delle Regioni.
The project, desired and financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, implemented by ISMEA with the support of Unione Italiana Food, was first preceded by the #adessopasta tour that in ten Italian cities offered pasta tastings with gastronomic demonstrations and interactive games, then was presented in Rome at the Salone d’Onore of Coni in the presence of Hon. Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry; the Hon. Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth; and the Hon. Orazio Schillaci, Minister of Sport.
Italy is the world leader in pasta production, with more than 3 million tons of product (accounting for 22% of total world production) and exports of just under 2.9 billion euros. Made in Italy pasta alone meets an average of 30 percent of global demand, with Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States among its main buyers.
The iconic image of pasta, in Italy and around the world, is therefore flanked by a sport, volleyball, which in Italy is second only to soccer in terms of interest (7 million fans, 1.2 million practitioners, over 330,000 registered members) with the men’s and women’s national teams that have made the history of the sport, dominating world competitions: 6 men’s Olympic medals, 5 world gold medals (4 men’s and 1 women’s), 2 world silver medals (1 men’s and 1 women’s).
Pasta is at the base of the food pyramid, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, gratifies our taste buds and is loved by nutritionists and athletes because it is both energetic and light. It also stimulates endorphins, fueling our good mood, and is “smart” by nature: versatile in cooking, easy to prepare, an emblem of conviviality, and its environmental footprint is among the lowest in the world.
“Sport and good nutrition are the secrets to ensuring well-being, and this is the reason that prompted us to promote these two activities together, that of making the best use of our food and of course enhancing it together with sporting activity,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Francesco Lollobrigida.
“Two champions of Made in Italy together: pasta, the most exported Italian food and the one that best represents our identity at the table, and the legendary Italian national volleyball team, which has made the history of this sport, conquering several times the highest step of the podium in international competitions,” comments ISMEA Commissioner Livio Proietti. “A decidedly winning combination that testifies to the importance of working as a system between institutional and private players and between different spheres and disciplines.”
The conference was also attended by Fipav President Giuseppe Manfredi and Italian Food Union President and Barilla Group Vice President Paolo Barilla.
“Volleyball is a sport of beauty, harmony and great energy,” said Paolo Barilla, president of Unione Italiana Food and vice president of the Barilla Group, “and to be alongside the girls and boys of the National Team is a source of pride for us. Collaborating together with the government, Minister Lollobrigida and CONI for the enhancement of pasta, which is the emblem of Italian food, is the best way to make a system and promote Italy in the world.”
“When I was informed of the interest in our boys for the creation of the spot and the resulting communication campaign, I was very happy,” commented the president of the Italian Volleyball Federation Giuseppe Manfredi. “First of all, because being side by side with institutions is always a source of prestige and then because, in this case, we were able to find many points of contact with the Ministry and with Ismea in particular. On the other hand, some issues, such as healthy eating and proper food consumption, are topics that are dear to us and on which it is important to invest so that as many athletes and people, in general, are aware of these aspects. As Federal President, I am proud that our boys and our CT have been chosen to convey such a message.”
“We would like to express our satisfaction with the valuable collaboration that has been established between Unione Italiana Food and Masaf and the role the latter has played in favor of our excellence, in the sign of a path of valorization of pasta traced precisely with the Ministry itself,” said Margherita Mastromauro, President of the Pastai Group of Unione Italiana Food. “Identical appreciation goes in the direction of the Ministers of Sport and Health, confirming that the combination of sport and healthy eating is inseparable and that pasta is in the former as in the latter in a completely natural way. We have the opportunity to work on a significant initiative, promoting the sustainability and tradition of the pasta supply chain.”
Ministero dell’agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste