The roots of Italian television advertising can be traced back to the phenomenon of Carosello. Launched in 1957, it was more than just a TV programme – it was a true cultural revolution that defined the golden age of Italian advertising and television. In the 1950s, television sets were a luxury owned by fewer than 400,000 Italians. Despite the high costs, Italian companies benefiting from the postwar economic boom recognised the immense potential of this new medium to reach a mass audience. RAI, the country’s only national broadcaster, supported them by creating Carosello as an innovative advertising format. Each segment featured a short comedic sketch followed by a commercial message. This format blended entertainment and advertising without feeling intrusive. It was a brilliant strategy that naturally captured and maintained the public’s attention.
Video: Le Pubblicita' di Carosello (1963)
Carosello entertained viewers and shaped Italian habits and popular culture right up until its final episode, which aired on New Year’s Day in 1977.
During the 1950s and 1960s, advertising underwent a process of Americanisation. Italian companies often viewed the American style of advertising as more modern, professional, and effective than their own practices, and U.S. agencies were seen as benchmarks for work organisation, campaign planning, and marketing strategy. Many major American agencies established branches in Italy, including Young & Rubicam, J. Walter Thompson, McCann-Erickson, BBDO, and Ogilvy & Mather. These agencies had a direct impact on the Italian advertising industry, bringing know-how and techniques from the United States while also influencing market structure and competition. However, Italian advertising did not adopt the American model wholesale – it adapted and reinterpreted it to fit its own cultural context.
Among the brands that seized the opportunity was Barilla, the pasta manufacturer. As early as the 1960s, it embraced television advertising in a big way. In the 1966 spot “Mai Così”, it featured singer Mina Mazzini to promote its pasta – the celebrity appeal worked even back then.
Video: Pubblicità Barilla - Mai così
Also worth mentioning is a Barilla ad set in a luxury restaurant, filmed in 1984 by the great Federico Fellini, who was 64 at the time. Fellini even wrote the script himself. However, it wasn’t considered one of his most successful advertising works. Among his finest achievements in advertising is a spot for Campari. This short film, “Oh, che bel paesaggio!”, tells the story of a couple who meet on a long-distance train.
Video: Campari – Federico Fellini
The contemporary Italian advertising market
According to the Advertising Media Spend Report 2024 by Nielsen Ad Intel, Procter & Gamble was the largest advertiser in the Italian market, followed by the Italian brand Ferrero and Germany’s Volkswagen. Despite the growing importance of digital media, television remains the primary channel for advertising communication in Italy, maintaining a significant share of total ad spend thanks to its ability to reach a broad audience. Let’s take a look at some TV ads from Italian brands producing typically Italian products.
Ferrero, an Italian family-owned food company specialising in popular chocolate products and confectionery such as Ferrero Rocher, Kinder Bueno, Nutella, Tic Tac, and Kinder Surprise, is not only a leader on the Italian market but also a respected global player. In its Ferrero Rocher campaigns, the brand leans into elements of elegance and social life, with a strong emphasis on detail. Campaigns for Kinder Bueno focus on the sensory pleasure of taste, while Nutella ads often centre on shared family moments, typically around breakfast.
Last year, Ferrero really went big, spending more than $100 million on marketing campaigns tied to the Super Bowl and the World Cup. A particularly successful example is the Kinder Bueno commercial aired during this year’s Super Bowl, where the brand quite literally heads into space:
Video: Kinder Bueno – Super Bowl 2026
When Italy is mentioned, many people think of “pizza.” That’s exactly what Rossopomodoro, an Italian pizzeria chain, offers. Its name – meaning “red tomato” – symbolises quality and pays homage to the Campania region, home of San Marzano tomatoes and the tradition of authentic Neapolitan pizza. In its pizza campaigns, the brand emphasises the typical Italian atmosphere and the joy of dining experiences:
Video: Rossopomodoro pizza
Italy is also synonymous with cars: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat. Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, though American, has Italian roots through his grandfather, and he has lent his support to promoting Italian cars. Among them, Fiat holds a special place in his heart:
Video: Fiat – The Italian Upgrade
And then there are Italian aperitifs, such as Aperol, which has also become very popular among Czech consumers. It is one of the fastest-growing aperitif brands in the world, investing heavily in advertising, events, and sponsorships, while leveraging a strong global visual identity – orange colour, summer, piazza, and friends.
Video: Aperol Redentore 2024
Campari, an iconic Italian aperitif brand founded in 1860 in Milan, follows more of a cultural and cinematic strategy. Federico Fellini wasn’t the only film celebrity the brand collaborated with. Among the actors who took part in Campari advertising campaigns were Eva Green, Benicio del Toro, English actress Lorraine Chase, and Clive Owen, who starred in a short film directed by Paolo Sorrentino as part of the Campari Red Diaries campaign.
Video: Aperol – Red Killer
No overview of Italian advertising would be complete without Santino, the safety system. A brilliant commercial for the Groupama brand was created in 2016 by Saatchi & Saatchi. The concept is based on a local tradition: Italians have long kept “santini” – religious icons – on their car dashboards to feel safe behind the wheel. But nowadays, no saint can protect drivers from the temptation to read notifications or send texts while driving. That’s where the new Santino comes in – a safety system that uses NFC technology to communicate with your phone, block incoming notifications, and even reply to messages and chats on your behalf.
Video: Santino Safety System
And then there is fashion. Italian brands such as Versace, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Valentino, and Dolce & Gabbana are globally renowned for their quality, luxury, and innovative design. This is evident in Dolce & Gabbana’s 2020 ad, which features striking black-and-white contrasts. Italy at its finest:
Video: Dolce & Gabbana – Spring/Summer 2020
Italy is all about atmosphere and social life
Italian brand TV ads usually don’t just sell a product. They sell a feeling. Whether it’s pasta, a car, an aperitif, or fashion, these ads rely more on emotions, relationships, and atmosphere than on technical specifications. Family, friends, a shared table, the city piazza, or an evening bar – essentially, the settings where social life unfolds – all play an important role.
Even though Italian brands are global and highly professional in their marketing, they often retain their cultural identity. The result is adverts that feel less aggressive and more like storytelling. Their greatest strength lies in their ability to create the kind of atmosphere that everyone longs for.