When it comes to the concept of family, Italians are highly polarized. On one side, there are those defending the integrity of the traditional family, and on the other side, there are those who promote the freedom to have whatever kind of family you like. Meanwhile, all families depicted in advertising look the same: happy and united. Therefore, when we decided to air a 2-minute TV spot featuring a divorced couple and their young daughter's attempt to bring them back together, we knew it would generate buzz. And it did!

In collaboration with Esselunga, the most iconic retail chain in Italy, we decided to launch a campaign featuring a kind of family never seen before in Italian advertising: a broken family.

In Italian advertising, families are always portrayed as happy and united. However, the reality is, 6 out of 10 Italian families have gone through separation or divorce. While advertising in other countries tends to reflect society more accurately, in Italy, brands still prefer to portray an old, disconnected, and stereotypical reality.

Whether you go to the grocery store to buy food for your Sunday lunch, ingredients to make a cake, fresh fruit, or simply some basil, there is a story behind every item you put into your cart. This campaign aims to highlight the importance of grocery shopping: it’s not just about purchasing food; it holds a much broader, symbolic value.

For the launch, we aired a 2-minute-long film. On prime time. On all major Italian TV channels. All at the same time.

In the film, the young daughter of a separated couple sneaks away from her mother to grab a peach in the fruit section of an Esselunga supermarket. Later in the film, when her father comes to pick her up, the little girl hands the peach to him, stating that it’s a gift from the mother, in an attempt to improve the relationship between her two parents.

The ad generated 136,000 mentions and 2.5 million interactions within the first 48 hours. #Esselunga was number one trending topic on Twitter/X for 4 consecutive days. Celebrities, influencers, politicians (including the prime minister) shared their opinion. Thousands of memes and parodies appeared online. “The Peach” was arguably the most talked-about ad in Italian history.