Barilla "Grazie" by Publicis Italia

Italian food company Barilla praises the resilience of its homeland.

"To this silence, protecting our streets, and to life that shouts from the balconies," actress Sophia Loren says. The spot shows footage of the desolate streets of Italy during the coronavirus pandemic and celebrates the efforts of frontline workers, who "give everything without asking anything back". It ends with the national flag alongside the Italian word "grazie", meaning thanks. 

Barilla's ad aired on Sunday (5 April) across Italian national TV channels.The company has also donated more than €2m (£1.7m) to the Civil Protection, the Parma Red Cross and the Maggiore Hospital of Parma, which will contribute to improving equipment in the facility’s intensive care unit.