It is called Passive Cooker and allows millions of households that usually eat pasta to cook it using the passive cooking method.

The device (for now a prototype available to the market) was designed by Le Garage, a technology design studio of Publicis Italy/LePub (Barilla's global strategic and creative partner since 2021), in collaboration with the Robilant agency, which took care of the design. Passive Cooker sits on the pot of boiling water and is connected to the smartphone via an App that will send a notification when the cooker can be turned off and then to be served when the pasta is ready.

The project is a good example of how collaboration between agency and company can bring an innovative idea to life by intercepting a market need.

Bruno Bertelli, Global CEO of Le Pub, Global CCO of Publicis Worldwide and CCO of Publicis Groupe Italia, explains: “This method has existed for centuries and is a true act of love for the planet. With 438 million noodles served every day, the spread of passive cooking could in fact lead to a significant and beneficial global environmental impact. A carefully capitalised project in terms of communication, thanks to a campaign (see the video here) signed by Publicis Italy/LePub and realised in collaboration with Toiletpaper, the magazine founded by artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. Bertelli emphasises that "The bold aesthetics, the signature style of the Cattelan/Ferrari creative duo gives this campaign an irreverent yet thoughtful imprint, which perfectly expresses the objective of this project”.