British actress
Diane Morgan (“Mandy,” “Cunk on Earth”) stars in a holiday campaign for S. Pellegrino examining how to “Holiday on Italian Time.”
The humorous campaign was
developed in partnership with creative agency Ogilvy. In a spot launched this week,
Morgan explains the cultural and temporal phenomenon of “Italian Time”: mealtime lasts “between four hours and forever,” and “the goodbye ritual” takes so long you
might want to start when you arrive. All of that, the ad suggests, means you’re going to need a lot of water during holiday meals.
“Holiday On Italian Time” is running across
social media on Meta platforms, streaming on Roku, audio, and digital channels including YouTube.
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“One of the most inspiring things about Italy is its culture around the table and the
importance of spending time together,” Ogilvy Group Creative Directors Francesca Ferracini and Alice Teruzzi said in a statement. “This holiday season, we wanted to inspire people to
embrace that same spirit, but first we had to introduce it to the wider world. So, we gave it a name: Italian Time.”
They added that “mockumentary queen” Diane Morgan was
ideal to act as “a trusted voice” explaining the phenomenon because of her “signature deadpan tone.”
Further ads in the campaign content touch on specific moments in
the holiday season, including “Friendsgiving on Italian Time,”
and “Goodbye on Italian Time.”
“We wanted to
portray specific holiday moments and gatherings to represent both Italian and American culture. Friendsgiving was perfect because for many people it kicks off the holiday season and is built around
the idea of beautifully blending traditions and experiences,” Ferracini and Teruzzi explained, while Christmas Eve was chosen for its traditional cultural importance.
According to
Ogilvy, strategists based the finding on sources including U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an essay from a culinary writer on traditional Italian food traditions, as well as creatives pulling
from their own experiences with family meals. According to Statistia comparisons using 2015 OECD data, people in the U.S. spend an average of one hour and two minutes eating and drinking daily, while
people in Italy spend an average of two hours and seven minutes — second only to France.
While the Nestlé-owned mineral water brand’s use of the “Italian Time”
term is new, it continues Sanpellegrino’s longstanding approach of leaning into its Italian heritage. Earlier this year, Sanpellegrino launched a new Ciao! line of flavored sparkling water inspired by
“Sicily's time-honored tradition of blending sparkling water with citrus juice and a touch of salt to enhance flavor.”