Premium pasta sauce brand Rao’s Homemade has named Goodby Silverstein & Partners as its creative agency of record, tasking the shop with shaping the brand’s next chapter as it looks to build a more “iconic” identity.
Work from the agency is expected to debut in the coming months and will aim to reach consumers looking to elevate their home cooking, leaning into Rao’s Italian restaurant heritage and reputation for premium ingredients.
“At its core, Rao’s wants to go from being a beloved product to an iconic Italian food brand,” said Eamonn Dixon, executive creative director at GS&P, adding that the work will highlight “the level of craft and quality that goes into every jar.”
As part of a new platform, GS&P’s work will support Rao’s expanded presence across media, storytelling, and brand experiences. Dixon described Rao as a “timeless” product, noting that the agency avoided ideas that felt “gimmicky or flashy” in favor of concepts that “speak to the soul of what the brand stands for.”
What began as an iconic and exclusive New York restaurant has evolved into a top-selling line of sauces, soups, and pastas culminating in a $1 billion brand.
Cory Berger, chief growth officer at GS&P, pointed to Rao’s rapid rise within a legacy category. “Our job is to keep that growth growing and help turn them from just being a great product to being a really iconic brand that is just as big as the business it built.”
In 2024, The Campbell’s Company acquired Rao’s parent company, Sovos Brands, for $2.7 billion. Chris Tutor, vp of advertising and design at Campbell’s, said GS&P pitched a “strategic point of view” that closely aligned with how the brand thinks about its future.
“GS&P presented a clear vision for how Rao’s can continue to grow as both a cultural and culinary icon, grounded in its Italian heritage with premium credentials rooted in its authentic, time-honored ingredients,” he said.
Tutor added that the partnership will focus on broadening awareness while reinforcing Rao’s position in the premium segment.
