Barilla's Unpublicized Patronage at Casa degli Artisti

In June 2025, Barilla launched a new pesto sauce with a ten-day event at Casa degli Artisti in Milan, transforming its restaurant into a Basil Bar with cocktails by a top Milanese bar and dishes by a talented young Italian chef. The company involved resident artists and curators, supporting the nonprofit space financially—the event reportedly covered the venue's entire annual budget. However, Barilla chose to promote the initiative almost exclusively through influencers on Instagram and TikTok, using superficial language and hashtags like #adv. As a result, the cultural and philanthropic aspects went largely unnoticed by the press, with no significant media coverage. The author, Massimiliano Tonelli, criticizes this communication strategy, arguing that it undermines the value of cultural patronage and harms both publishing and the companies themselves.