Vol 66. Barilla: Reviving sustainable traditions ??

How Barilla responded to the global energy crisis by bringing back a forgotten method of cooking pasta

We saw Uber and Lyft respond to the 2024 U.S. presidential election by offering discounted rides to the polls. In 2020, Starbucks allowed employees to wear Black Lives Matter shirts and pins after the murder of George Floyd. And when the global energy crisis reached alarming levels, Barilla, the world’s largest pasta producer, had a standout response.?

This week, Case Studied explores how Barilla brought back a forgotten method of cooking pasta to help reduce energy usage and solidify their nearly 150 year legacy.

The Brief:

To fully understand this campaign, we have to go back to 2022. Many expected that year to be a period of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. But at the end of February, the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.?

While the strain on global energy didn’t start with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it was sharply exacerbated by it, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2022 World Energy Outlook report. In particular, Europe and emerging and developing economies were significantly impacted.?

Gas prices rose so much that basic activities—like cooking—were generating huge costs. Household budgets were hit and many people were searching for ways to reduce their gas consumption. Google searches for “how to save energy” were up 600% worldwide.?

Coupled with the fact that 440 million pasta portions are cooked everyday globally, Barilla saw an opportunity to help amid this crisis.

The Execution:

Barilla partnered with Publicis Italy to launch their energy-focused campaign. In their research on sustainable cooking methods, Barilla unearthed a long-forgotten tradition that dated back to Italy in the 1800s. Though it had lost popularity in the economic book of the 1960s, it was a simple, effective way to cook pasta that saved up to 80% of energy.?

So, Barilla built a campaign around educating its customers on this method and how to use it. They named it “Passive Cooking”, which involves boiling pasta in water for two minutes before turning off the stove and letting the pasta finish cooking under a lid.?

To get the message out about this method, the brand executed in a few ways:

• Influencer partnerships: Barilla partnered with celebrity chefs and global influences like Pietro Parisi and Michelin Starred Chef Davide Oldani, who learned and taught the method.
• Product packaging: They added passive cooking timing to each of their pasta products so that it showed up on the packaging, as well as their website and online recipes.?
• On-demand chatbot: Barilla created a WhatsApp bot that walked people through the passive cooking process. It had timed messaging that guided action in the right moments, plus a downloadable guide with the cooking times of popular pasta shapes.?
• Cooking smart device: They created the Passive Cooker, a smart device that was distributed as an open source project so anyone could build it. They also gave Passive Cookers to select restaurants so they could cut down their cooking times.?

There were plenty of smaller details that made this campaign feel authentic and engaging. The Passive Cooker is made from 100% biodegradable filament and environmentally friendly AAA batteries. The timing guide said its figures were “studied and tested by Academia Barilla for Passive Cooking.”?

But perhaps most importantly, Barilla focused the campaign on the fact that passive cooking was a traditional method. This was very strategic—the brand recognized the importance of pasta in Italy and the fact that many Italians probably wouldn’t be receptive to changing their approach to this cultural delicacy. Barilla was careful and intentional about communicating the concept they were introducing, which had a huge impact on the campaign’s success.

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The Results:

The exposure of Barilla’s Passive Cooking campaign was massive. It racked up over 1.6 billion impressions worldwide and there were over 2,000 pieces of earned media covering it. Even brand competitors like Panzani, Bennet, and Agnesi promoted the concept of passive cooking as the campaign’s impact was too impactful to ignore.

Google searches for how to adopt the passive cooking method saw a +370% increase. Communities of chefs were discussing the method, while tech-savvy folks were talking about how to build the open-source Passive Cooker device. To top it off, the restaurant partners that received the Passive Cooker device saw a 30% cut in their energy bill.

Key Takeaways:

There’s so much to learn from this integrated campaign. Here are a few lessons that stand out:

1) Crisis Creates Opportunity

Barilla identified a perfect intersection between a global crisis (energy shortage) and their product category in a way that wasn’t exploitive. Rather than simply expressing concern, they provided a tangible solution that directly addressed consumer pain points while aligning with their brand. This transformation of a forgotten traditional method into modern energy-saving innovation demonstrated genuine value.

As a marketer, look for opportunities where your product or service can genuinely help during challenging times. Focus on practical solutions rather than performative messaging. The most impactful crisis responses come when brands leverage their core competencies to solve real problems, creating both goodwill and cultural relevance.

2) Cultural Sensitivity Drives Adoption

Barilla recognized that changing how Italians cook pasta required cultural sensitivity. By framing passive cooking as a rediscovery of traditional methods rather than a new innovation, they overcame potential resistance to changing such a culturally significant practice. This respect for tradition was crucial to the campaign's acceptance.

When introducing changes that affect cultural practices, emphasize connections to heritage and tradition rather than disruption. Frame your innovation as an evolution or rediscovery that honors existing values while solving modern problems. This approach builds trust and removes barriers to adoption, especially for products with deep cultural significance.

3) Innovation Creates Multi-Dimensional Impact

Barilla's 3D-printed Passive Cooker device transformed what could have been just another sustainability campaign into a multi-dimensional success story. By creating a physical, open-source innovation, they expanded their reach beyond traditional food audiences to engage tech communities, generated additional media coverage, and provided measurable results through restaurant implementations.

As a marketer, consider how incorporating tangible innovations like 3D printing can elevate your campaigns beyond digital messaging. Physical objects create demonstration opportunities, invite community participation, and provide proof points of your brand's commitment. Even simple devices can bridge the gap between concept and reality, giving consumers and media something concrete to experience and share, while positioning your brand at the cutting edge of both purpose and technology.

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