Creativity knows no age limits, and the story of Margherita, a nine-year-old girl from Genoa, is tangible proof of this. With a passion for pasta and a brilliant mind, Margherita had an idea that caught the attention of one of the largest food brands in the world, Barilla. Her intuition? To create a new format of cork-shaped pasta, inspired by an everyday object: the cap of a marker.
The genius of an idea: the cork-shaped pasta
Margherita, with her spirit of observation and creativity, has reflected on how to improve the culinary experience through a innovative pasta format, capable of retaining the sauce better.
From this intuition was born the idea of the “tappi”, a pasta inspired by the shape of a marker pen cap, designed to contain the seasoning inside, thus offering a new taste experience.
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Driven by her determination, Margherita decided, with the support of her mother, to turn directly to Gianluca di tondo, CEO of Barilla.
With simplicity and authenticity, he described his idea in a letter, introducing himself with these words: “I'm Margherita and I'm nine and a half years old and I always eat your pasta. Today I thought of a new format: caps! They would have the shape of a marker cap, able to retain the sauce inside them. If you like, you could make it".
Barilla's response: listening and innovation
After about two months, Barilla responded to Margherita's letter. Gianluca Di Tondo communicated that the idea had been forwarded to the development department, and a few weeks later, Margherita received a surprise: a prototype of the "caps" made with 3D printing.
Di Tondo, in the covering letter, explained that the version had been produced in the pilot plant and, while it would take time for large-scale production, they wanted to get her a sample.
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This story shows how Barilla values the creativity of its consumers, showing openness also towards ideas of the youngest.
Margherita's intuition highlights that imagination can lead to surprising results, and Barilla has been able to transform a simple idea into reality. This episode reminds us how important it is to listen to all voices, even those of children, because the Creativity has no age.
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