Submitted by OgilvyAgency IPI Score 95/100

With Love, Italy

Influencer Marketing

Ogilvy New York reunited Sopranos actors Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa to introduce Sanpellegrino CIAO! in the US, earning coverage in People and Adweek.

Case in 60 seconds

Sanpellegrino needed to introduce CIAO!, a new sparkling-water format, into a crowded US category where product announcements are easy to ignore.

Familiar cultural figures can carry a new product's introduction and give it instant recognition and talkability.

Reunite two Sopranos actors and let them play on their 'wise guy' personas as the comedic frame for delivering the new drink.

Ogilvy New York produced a filmed campaign in which Imperioli and Schirripa go door-to-door delivering CIAO!, reported to include short-form social spots and a long-form film.

No performance metrics are published; the stated signal is press coverage in People and Adweek at launch. All other results are undisclosed.

Strategy Breakdown

The primary strategy-learning section — interpretation, not a press-release summary.

US consumers browsing a crowded sparkling-drinks category, receptive to nostalgia and celebrity.
New beverage formats launch constantly and blur together, so a straight product story would struggle to be noticed or shared.
The launch needed a hook people would talk about, not just another announcement in a saturated category.
Sanpellegrino positioned CIAO! through an Italian-American cultural lens, using recognisable talent to make the introduction entertaining.
Playing on personas audiences already know and enjoy earns attention and shares faster than building a new brand character from zero.

Creative & Execution System

Assets & channels

  • Filmed advertising campaign
  • Short-form social-first spots (reported by third parties)
  • Long-form narrative film (reported by third parties)

Partners

  • Ogilvy (New York)

Participation mechanic

  • Not applicable; broadcast and social viewing

Creator role

  • Celebrity talent, not creators: Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa

Why Ogilvy's strategy worked

  1. 1

    Casting instantly recognisable talent gave a new, unfamiliar product immediate cultural shorthand.

  2. 2

    Playing on the actors' known personas made the introduction entertaining rather than promotional.

  3. 3

    A door-to-door delivery frame turned a product hand-off into a shareable comedic narrative.

  4. 4

    The recognisable hook is what earned trade and consumer press pickup, which a straight launch rarely gets.

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