Adventures… on the Web

By Graziella Carbone

2015 – Mini plush toys and the puzzle of the Friends of the Mills

The evolution of society and the perception of surprises led Barilla to re-evaluate the methods of managing promotions. To the in-pack surprises, necessarily of small size and of low perceived value, was now preferred to propose prizes of greater value and more attractive to the public, by combining the inclusion of an element of the package (a univocal number to play) with the potential already experienced on the website. In short, bigger prizes that could be won by accumulating proofs of purchase or prizes of great appeal that could be won by lottery were preferred. So from 2015 on the surprises packaged together with snacks disappeared. On the other hand, at sales points became even more important.
From January to May 2015, following in the footsteps of previous years, every day it was possible to win one of twenty sets of Friends of the Mill Mini Plush Toys made in collaboration with Trudi, by entering the univocal codes printed on the trays of Flutes, Saccottino and on the Pan Goccioli separator on the website www.amicidelmulino.it active only for the promotion period) by entering the code printed inside the package. With five codes, each month you could take part in the drawing of five iPad Touch with personalized cover of the Amici del Mulino.
Furthermore, until April 15, by purchasing two packs of snacks in the supermarket participating in the promotion, you would immediately receive the Friends of the Mill breakfast placemat as a gift. With three packs, the Friends of the Mill exclusive puzzle by Clementoni was given as a gift.
The era of the Friends of the Mill ended with these activities: for ten years, starting in 2005, it offered ideas for ever new promotions.

2016 – The comeback of Little Surprises – Find the Little Surprise…and win! Contest

From January 18 to April 10 of 2016, by purchasing a package of apricot or chocolate Saccottino, it was possible to find one of 600 boxes with the words “You won” which gave the right to receive the Surpresiere Collector, a larger reproduction of the original box containing 18 historical surprises made from 1983 onwards and republished in special edition: Stickers of the Little White Miller (1986), To the last snack (1984), Happy Erasers (PMB with a chef’s hat, with pencil and backpack, with oven shovel, Mulino Bianco ), Friends of nature (1983), Calendar of the Mill (re-edition of the 1983 calendar with days of 2016), Card wins, card looses (1983), Find the Tegolino (1984), the Race to the Mill (1986), the Crossword of the Mill (1983), Game of Dominoes (1983), Game of the Donkey (1983), Game of Pairs (1983), Labyrinth of the Mill, Sundial of the Mill (1984), Win with words (1984).
The Sorpresiere Collector was given out with drawing lots and the promotional campaign made use of the backstage of the Mulino Bianco snack trays.
Those who did not win immediately, by playing the code on the tray, could participate in the daily drawing of ten Sorpresiere Collectors.
Both the Marketing Department and I were very careful to create the right mix of both titles and materials: paper, cardboard, stickers, erasers (to comply with the law we had to buy them from Fila, that produced a type with the right requirements) and strings produced by one of the most reliable Italian lace makers that supplied the best Italian shoe manufacturers. When I rang them asking to speak to their sales departments, I was asked why. I said I needed to produce strings with an inscription for a competition for Mulino Bianco. After a few seconds of waiting on the other end of the phone, the owner of the company answered me – enthusiastically. It was a great collaboration and at the end of the campaign they included the image of the Friends of Nature on their website for some time.
The promotion was a real success – especially for the return of the Little White Miller.

2016 – The Adventures of the Kids of the Mill

In 2016, the focus of promotions changed, and instead of the adventures of fictional characters (personifications of the various snacks) they suggested adventures to be experienced firsthand in contact with nature.
The new promotion The Adventures of the Kids of the Mill, proposed from September to November 27 with the packs of Focaccelle, Pan Goccioli, Flutes, Bread + chocolate from Mulino Bianco, made it possible to receive an adventure bag as a gift collecting three codes and to participate with an additional code to the daily draw of ten coordinated Salewa sleeping bags.
The product trays also contained numerous useful information for experiencing the new adventures of the Kids of the Mill: how to send a coded message, read special signs to be found in the woods; how to interpret and write secret messages and much more.
Other coordinated surprises were proposed in the stores participating in the initiative: the notebook with two pencils and the hand torch.