Gigi Padovani
NUTELLA WORLD
60 Years of Innovation
April 1964: A hazelnut and cocoa cream with an irresistible aroma arrives on Italian tables. During the economic boom, Italy looks to the future with hope and needs a boost of healthy energy: Nutella invents a new product category and conquers the country, and then the world. But what is its secret?
It all begins in Alba after the war, in a small pastry shop owned by the Ferrero family. From the founder Pietro to his son Michele to his grandson Giovanni, this family business has continued to reap success, achieving global dimensions while maintaining strong roots in its birthplace, the Langhe region. Without ever losing sight of product quality, guaranteed by vertical integration of the supply chain, and adhering to strict ethical criteria for environmen - tal and social sustainability, the Ferrero Group is today the third-largest international player in its sector; a position achieved also through strategic acquisitions that have created a true “Ferrero ecosystem.” Added to all this is communication that has made Nutella a lovebrand, a “madeleine” reminiscent of family and home: today it is a modern icon, loved by millions of fans and the subject of artistic and culinary interpretations.
In 2024, Nutella celebrated its sixtieth anni - versary by looking ahead, launching a new product line, the “Big Five” – spreads, snacks, cookies, baked goods, and ice creams – which transformed it into a power brand: “a brand that has widened its field of action, transcending the boundaries of its own product category of origin.”
Sweetness made in Italy:
fifty years of successful strategies from the world's most famous spread
“Behind Nutella stands a true family company,and this can be seen in its focus on the long term, and the refusal to accept any compromises on quality.”
Giovanni Ferrero
“Defining Nutella as a hazelnut-and-chocolate spread is a bit like describing the David of Michelangelo as a large carved piece of marble.”
Andrea Lee, The New Yorker