Mizkan Group Launches Review for Ragú, Bertolli

Mizkan Group, who acquired Ragú pasta sauces and Bertolli olive oil from Unilever last year for $2.1 billion as part of its consolidation of food brands, is now launching a creative review for the two brands, Adweek reports. The brands spent $32 million in measured media last year, according to Kantar Media, but that number could jump given the change in ownership.

In a statement, Mikzan Group said the brands were “beloved by consumers, and the R&B Foods team is excited to begin the journey of accelerating growth for these iconic brands.”

According to Adweek’s sources, the review is down to a handful of finalists, with Mizkan Group expected to choose one global agency for both brands. The review, which being managed by Joanne Davis Consulting in New York, is expected to conclude sometime this month.

 

Bertolli Makes the Most of Barilla Chairman’s Anti-Gay Comments

Barilla is struggling enough this week without its competitors piling on. But Bertolli doesn't care. Seizing on comments made by Barilla's chairman about how the company would never put gay couples in its advertising, Bertolli Germany quickly posted pro-gay imagery in its social feeds, happily taking advantage of its rival's misstep. "Love and pasta for all!" reads the caption on the Facebook photo above. "We just wanted to spread the news that Bertolli welcomes everyone, especially those with an empty stomach," a rep for Orca im Hafen, Bertolli's social-media agency in Germany, tells AdFreak. So far, Bertolli has not taken similar steps in the U.S., but the brand has been gay-friendly here for years, too. Check out the spot below from a couple of years back.