People have been embracing comfort food over the last two years, but perhaps none more so than pasta – and Italpasta’s new campaign dives into the emotional explanation for why that is.

“Our Pasta Love Affair” features different noodle-comfort scenarios, be it a new dad feeding his daughter, or a couple on date night. Narrated by Italpasta founder Joseph Vitale, the vignettes replay universal themes, like home, love and tradition.

“We wanted to showcase how pasta…transcends generations, cultural ties and links people together,” says Laura Dal Bo, Italpasta’s director of marketing, communications and import brands. Through good times and bad, Dal Bo maintains, pasta has remained a constant.

There’s something comforting about the familiar, Dal Bo says. She tells strategy the staying power of pasta is in its ability to withstand the latest diet craze, weather the uncertainty of the pandemic and be the perfect budget-friendly meal and “the most economical way to feed a family.”

Demand for pasta spiked during the pandemic – when it began, Dal Bo says Italpasta’s “production went insane,” operating at full capacity, 24/7. That opened the company’s eyes as to how much pasta is a facet of people’s lives and the opportunity there would be in connecting with household grocery shoppers on a more meaningful level.

It’s the first new national TV commercial the brand has created since the 1980s. Previous outreach was focused on ethnic media like TLN and Omni, utilizing jingles or Vitale talking about the ingredients that go into the pasta. “Considering where we are today, we wanted to talk about how pasta is more than just pasta, but a feeling,” Dal Bo says.

While ostensibly a masterband campaign, the spot quietly makes Italpasta’s Artisanal line the hero product. Launched last year, the line uses 100% Canadian wheat and traditional Italian methods of making high-quality pasta to capture on-trend demands for more premium and indulgent products.

Italpasta partnered with agency Cundari to develop the spot. While Vitale and agency founder Aldo Cundari have a longstanding personal relationship, the business relationship only began a few months ago.

The ad will air until May 10 across TV and online channels. Maverick provided the PR support.