From 1965 to 1970, the singer Mina was the exceptional face of Barilla pasta, lending her image and voice to over fifty commercials for the Parma-based company, captured in precious video clips.

Connected to the fashion of the moment yet never banal, endowed with uncommon expressiveness and acting skills, and with her extraordinary voice, she would elegantly caress the pasta boxes or reign over giant packages to recommend quality purchases to the great cooks that were Italian housewives.

Directed by renowned filmmakers such as Valerio Zurlini (1926–1982), Antonello Falqui (1925–2019), Piero Gherardi (1909–1971), and Duccio Tessari (1926–1994)—who did not hesitate to temporarily leave cinema or television for the world of advertising—she performed her songs, often repeated in different versions and settings; she sang live at La Bussola in Viareggio, recorded in the studio, and became a regular presence for Italian women.

The message gradually became more refined, graphically perfect, and soon merged with surreal sets, extravagant outfits, daring camera angles, and aggressive, dynamic editing.

The outfits, designed for her by the great set and costume designer of Fellini, Piero Gherardi, will be the focus of the exhibition organized by the Barilla Historical Archive for ApritiModa 2025, offering us a dive into the 1960s and the extraordinary creative forge that Italy was at the time.