- Sanpellegrino’s campaign turns typecasting into a brand asset, using Imperioli and Schirripa’s reputations to tell a lighthearted, memorable story.
- Nostalgia is used with purpose, building emotional relevance while introducing a new product rooted in Italian identity.
- Social-first storytelling enables ongoing engagement, not just one-time views—episodes, bloopers, and digital content ensure repeat exposure.
- Character-led campaigns provide instant recognition, especially when audience trust in the actors translates into brand trust.
- The campaign proves that humor and heritage can coexist, giving legacy brands a modern voice without losing authenticity.
A lesson in casting, culture, and comedy, Sanpellegrino’s Sopranos-starring rollout shows how to refresh a brand without losing its roots.
Sanpellegrino didn’t just launch a new beverage—it launched a character-driven comedy with sparkling water as the punchline. In “With Love, Italy,” the campaign for its new Ciao! flavored sparkling water, the Italian brand taps The Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa to play up, and laugh off, their gangster pasts in a series of social-first spots.
Created by Ogilvy New York and supported by Hogarth, Spark & Riot, Cabin, and Company3, the campaign isn’t built around a product demo or lifestyle montage—it’s built around narrative, nostalgia, and native social behavior. It’s also a blueprint for how to launch a product that’s both culturally attuned and algorithm-friendly.
Casting That Brings Cultural Currency
Imperioli and Schirripa bring instant recognition and built-in cultural cachet. Known for playing wiseguys on The Sopranos, the pair play loosely fictionalized versions of themselves trying to give away Sanpellegrino’s Ciao!—but failing miserably because no one trusts them.
“You don’t think it’s because of that thing we did?”
“Nooo… That was ages ago.”
The lines are cheeky. The delivery is dry. And the execution is pitch-perfect. By anchoring the campaign in self-aware humor rather than caricature, Sanpellegrino lets the actors reclaim and repurpose their most iconic roles in service of brand storytelling.
A Social-First Campaign Designed for the Scroll
This campaign was never meant for television—it was made for Instagram and digital-first platforms. Short-form episodes follow the duo from a shady shipping yard to a suburban sidewalk to a pizzeria, offering free Ciao! to confused, suspicious bystanders.
A longer-form spot stitches the clips into a complete story, while a blooper reel extends the fun and reward for deeper engagement.
Every asset is built to be:
- Short (under a minute)
- Story-driven (comedic arc + visual payoff)
- Shareable (pop culture hook + nostalgia + humor)
The social rollout lets Sanpellegrino capture attention in bursts, then layer in more narrative depth as viewers stay with the story. That’s not just smart media—it’s smart content architecture.
Nostalgia as Strategy, Not Stunt
It would be easy to mistake the campaign as a nostalgia gimmick, but the execution reveals something more deliberate. This isn’t just “hey, remember The Sopranos?” It’s a brand-character fit: two Italian-American actors representing an Italian beverage brand that’s positioning itself as stylish, light, and relatable.
As Digital Silk’s Gabriel Shaoolian puts it:
That’s exactly what Sanpellegrino has done here. The Sopranos callback isn’t there to sell a t-shirt. It’s there to sell a taste of Italy, with a smirk and a cold can.
Reframing Italian Identity Through Humor
By mixing pop culture tropes (the mobster), real Italian heritage (Sanpellegrino), and modern storytelling (social-first skits), the campaign refreshes Italian identity for today’s consumer. It’s not romanticized or over-designed. It’s fun, confident, and approachable.
There’s a subtle repositioning happening, too: Ciao! isn’t just a product—it’s an Italian greeting, a wink, a vibe. One that says: “We’re in on the joke. Now take a sip.”
What Marketers Can Learn and Implement
- Use nostalgia as a bridge, not a crutch.
Pop culture memory should connect people to your brand—not distract from it.
- Character-led storytelling builds faster trust than concept-led campaigns.
Familiar faces bring baked-in narrative and emotional shorthand.
- Social-first doesn’t mean less creative—it means more intentional.
Sanpellegrino’s episodic rollout shows how to optimize story pacing, formats, and tone for digital behavior.
- Funny sells—when it’s rooted in authenticity.
The humor works because the characters and brand feel naturally connected.
- Story-driven campaigns create content ecosystems, not one-offs.
From teasers to episodes to bloopers, each asset builds a layer of engagement.
A Sparkling Lesson in Brand Character
Sanpellegrino’s “With Love, Italy” campaign proves that even a legacy brand can make a modern, social-first splash by aligning the right characters, cultural cues, and creative formats. Ciao! may be a new drink, but its launch feels timeless—funny, familiar, and refreshingly on-brand.
For marketers, it’s a masterclass in how to say “hello” (or “ciao”) to a new audience with more than just a message—but a moment worth watching, sharing, and sipping.
