Barilla Pasta x Derek Hough with “Spaghetti Training Timer”

Source: IG

Barilla is back again, proving once again that it gets it and owns it, this time with a new face representing.

Let’s take it for a spin, shall we?

Last spring, Barilla partnered with Spotify to create playlists that last exactly as long as it takes to cook pasta. When the playlist ends, so does your boiling time. Smart problem-solving, right?

Source: Barilla

Now the brand is back with Derek Hough from "Dancing with the Stars" offering eight-minute micro workouts designed around the exact time your spaghetti is cooking to perfection. No equipment needed. Just you, the pot of boiling water, and a box of Barilla. And enough space in your kitchen to move your body.

But beyond the movement, here's what's actually happening: Barilla isn't just running random promotions. The brand has identified a pain point … that awkward eight minutes of downtime and it keeps coming back to solve for it. The Spotify playlists solved the uncertainty of not knowing when the pasta is ready. The Derek Hough workouts solve the impatience of wasted time waiting.

That's brand engagement. That's what makes a brand relevant.

Many brands might overlook this tiny little issue, and not recognize it as a problem to solve. Barilla sees it as an opportunity to connect, with music, with exercise, with human-ness. The workout videos aren't groundbreaking because let’s face it, exercise content is everywhere. But pairing them to a specific brand moment? Repeatedly showing up in that space with solutions? That's the difference between a brand people remember and a brand people simply overlook on the shelf.

The real application to grab here isn't about Derek Hough or Spotify playlists. It's about a brand that understands its consumer’s actual life and shows up to help.

That's what a brand should do.

Well done. Just like the pasta after eight minutes.

What problem can your brand solve? What's your experience? JIM