The Piazza

Eataly has launched its first-ever brand film with *The Piazza*, a seven-minute tragicomedy created by Johannes Leonardo that turns Italy’s absence from the World Cup into an affectionate celebration of Italian football, food and culture. Starring football icon Alessandro Del Piero, the film follows a group of children who set out on “Operation Alessandro” to lift the spirits of a disappointed national hero and remind him of what truly defines the Italian game.

In the story, Del Piero is disheartened by Italy’s failure to qualify for the tournament, describing it as a tragedy. The children respond by guiding him through a series of lessons intended to “fix” Italian football, suggesting that the answer lies not in tactics alone but in the passion, instinct and soul that also define Italian cooking and culture. Through this parallel, the film connects the emotional qualities of football with Eataly’s broader celebration of Italian lifestyle and heritage.

Created in just four weeks, *The Piazza* reframes national disappointment as an opportunity for reflection and pride, showing that Italy’s cultural presence can still be felt even without a place in the tournament. Rather than focusing on absence as a limitation, the campaign uses it to highlight the values, traditions and emotional richness that continue to make Italy, and Eataly, deeply relevant during football’s biggest moment.