D’Italiano is embracing dinner table chaos as it looks to separate itself from competitors, including private-label offerings.

The hero spot takes visual cues from Renaissance paintings, dramatizing an inviting yet warmly haphazard family gathering, culminating in a slo-mo shot in which a piece of D’Italiano bread sops up a hearty red sauce.

“There’s an experience to having an Italian bread on your dinner table,” says Angela McInenly, head of marketing and brand development at Wonderbrands. “We wanted something that could encapsulate the big, modern Italian energy that D’Italiano stands for among consumers and sets it apart from the rest.”

McInenly says the ad’s content, which includes pepper shakers and loaves suspended in mid-air, captures the chaos through multiple moments.

The new D’Italiano spot ushers in the brand’s new platform, “Do It Big,” which intended to evoke big energy, big families and big meals. McInenly says D’Italiano is a very visual brand product with thick slices, flour dusting and a slightly different shape to the bread itself. The campaign’s goal was to leverage visual media to bring that to life, making OOH an exciting opportunity for the brand.

In the category, with inflation playing a role, McInenly notes there has been a sight shift towards private-label products. So the brand wanted to “remind consumers that everyday indulgent items can be part of your life,” McInenly says.

McInenly tells strategy it’s a brand that has a nationwide presence, especially resonating with Quebec. The new campaign marks D’Italiano’s first national work with Rethink. When Wonderbrands selected Rethink as its creative AOR, it really wanted to shake up the category and develop more emotional resonance with consumers across its portfolio.

The current campaign is brought to life with both video and still assets, supported by TV, OLV, social and digital elements, as well as a robust OOH buy across Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, including takeovers at Toronto’s Yonge & Dundas and Union Station. It’s going after the head of household category manager with transit OOH near stores that sell the product.

The campaign overall marks the biggest national investment for the D’Italiano brand. Creative, strategy and PR were handled by Rethink. Media was handled by Society Etc.