“The Rooftop Match” x Barilla
“Italy experienced one of the harshest lockdown protocols in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘The Rooftop Match’ was born from the idea that unity and connection will be restored again. Through a viral video, an opportunity for Barilla was uncovered. There was not a dry eye in the room when we watched the final cut of the campaign video. ‘The Rooftop Match’ will forever be one of my proudest works.”
- Rachel Howard
Background
In April 2020 a video of two young Italian girls, Carola and Vittora, playing tennis from their rooftops during the COVID-19 lockdown went viral; becoming the universal symbol of resilience in Italy. Both girls also happened to be big fans of Barilla's brand ambassador, Roger Federer.
Idea
After the lockdown was lifted in Italy, we brought Roger Federer to surprise the girls in Finale Ligure, a small seaside town in northern Italy. The girls got to enjoy the rooftop match of a lifetime with the internationally renowned tennis player, followed by a lunch with Barilla pasta.
The campaign represented the notion of a new form of “togetherness” in a post-lockdown world, where friendships, food and sports reside in harmony.
Results
1.6 B Total Reach
35M Video Views (Instagram & Youtube)
1.3M Total Readership (Print)
138K Interactions