Organization expert Marie Kondo has partnered with Barilla to promote a unique sustainable packaging solution.
Launched just in time for Global Recycling Day, the campaign centers on reusing empty pasta boxes for secondhand clothing shipments.
Kondo, also known as KonMari, is a famous Japanese tidying expert, founder of KonMari Media, Inc., author of the bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” and star of Netflix’s “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.”
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The one-minute video titled “Secondhand Box” opens with the question, “Can the pasta box you loved turn into a pre-loved items pack?”
Kondo then introduces herself, and lets the audience know that on top of Barilla pasta being “perfect for lunch together,” it also works as an ideal box for packing clothes she sells on a secondhand platform.
The tutorial released today shows how she neatly folds three secondhand clothes into Barilla boxes — in just four steps — categorized by size: small, medium, and large.
With zen-like music playing in the background, each step is shown in the text as Kondo performs the actions methodically.
The spot ends with Kondo showing the Barilla boxes with a shipping sticker on them, and the call to action:
“Reuse your Barilla box for a smarter shipment. Learn how to fold and ship responsibly."
Addressing the Need and Inspiring Sustainable Action
The campaign, in collaboration with creative agency Publicis Worldwide shop Le Pub, draws inspiration from a growing trend within the secondhand clothing market.
Sellers often face challenges finding suitable packaging at home, while recipients sometimes receive oversized boxes for small items.
Barilla's partnership with Kondo not only addresses this concern but also leverages Kondo's influence to inspire a wider audience to adopt sustainable practices.
“Connecting this strategic input to the tidying skills of an icon like Marie Kondo set up the creative magic of this project, bringing attention to the issue and inspiring people to act daily,” Publicis Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Bruno Bertelli told Adweek.
The collaboration also reflects Barilla's commitment to sustainability.
“For us, it means to offer people tasty and wholesome products, made with selected raw materials coming from sustainable supply chains. In this vision, packaging also plays a key role,” Barilla CMO Ilaria Lodigiani revealed.
Barilla's previous sustainability effort, the "Second Life Pasta" campaign for World Pasta Day in 2022, tackled food waste reduction with the help of TikTok creators.
Also in collaboration with Le Pub, the campaign operated on the premise:
“Pasta is one of the most loved dishes in the world. That’s why we tend to cook more than we eat, turning the most loved food into one of the most wasted.”
Barilla provides a solution by getting the most viral TikTok recipes and creating new ones from pasta leftovers.
Barilla’s sustainability campaigns show how the solution to global problems may just lie in the simplest of actions.
