Nutella, Barilla, Moretti and Barolo – Salvini’s ingredients in a successful strategy to sell his common-man brand in an anti-elite era
6811 Min Read
Matteo Salvini likes spreading Nutella on his morning bread. He winds down with a bowl of Barilla pasta and a glass of Barolo wine. He heeds the words of wisdom inside the wrappers of Perugina Bacio chocolates. He drinks Moretti beer.
Italy knows these things because Mr. Salvini, the country’s hard-line interior minister, deputy prime minister and leader of the anti-migrant League party, shares them on his many social media feeds. Just about every day.
But Mr. Salvini’s social media feeds are not really about product placement, or the musings of a proud culinary nationalist. Rather, say those who have worked closely with him, they are part of a carefully studied and remarkably successful strategy to sell his common-man brand in an anti-elite era.
A year after Mr. Salvini stormed Italian politics from the far right, his rise as Italy’s most powerful politician — far-eclipsing the influence of a prime minister many consider a puppet — has become a parable of the modern social media age. He is the study of a politician, much like President Trump, whose methods have shattered political norms, nearly all Italian politicians agree, whether they agree with his politics or not.
