When Rao’s Homemade was approached to be a part of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the challenge became clear: how to bring the mission of Make Every Day Delicious to the streets of New York City with a unique story and eye-catching visuals. 

 

The solution: Rao’s Homemade Pasta Knight is here to save weeknight dinners by elevating them from ordinary to extraordinary. The idea was cemented by the fact that nearly 86% of American families have pasta for dinner at least one night a week. 

 

Through creative concepting and close collaboration with the team at Macy’s, parade spectators across the country can feast their eyes on an epic dinnertime battle as Pasta Knight and his trusty steed face off against a fire-breathing dragon. Inspired by the origin of Rao’s Homemade authentic Italian marinara sauce, the story unfolds against a backdrop designed to resemble a village in Southern Italy and the delicious, fresh ingredients grown there. 

 

The result: Through a combination of PR, Paid Media, Social, Influencer marketing, and live broadcast, the Pasta Knight earned over 9.5B total impressions, and was featured in segments on The Today Show and Late Night with Stephen Colbert.