To mark World Pasta Day on Tuesday 25th October 2022, Italian restaurant group, Vapiano, has teamed up with The School of Life to launch ‘Conversations Over Pasta’, a set of 30 expertly prepared question cards designed to encourage meaningful connections between friends, partners, colleagues and even strangers over a shared meal.

Co-created with The School of Life, an organisation known for helping improve their mental wellbeing, the complimentary Conversations Over Pasta cards will be available from 19th October to 2nd November in Vapiano restaurants and in at-home meal deliveries nationwide.

To counteract feelings of isolation prevalent among younger generations, Vapiano and The School of Life aim to facilitate deeper conversations and connections by encouraging consumers to come together to share, reflect and build empathy while enjoying a delicious bowl of Vapiano’s personalised pasta. The questions bypass the usual stale topics and encourage us to open up about the subjects that matter most: love, friendship, memory, and the meaning of life.

The initiative is being supported by online content managed by Ketchum and produced by Wall of Entertainment, featuring a series of pairs using the Conversations Over Pasta cards to prompt engaging and revealing dialogue in a Vapiano restaurant. The pairs, made up of a range of UK talent includes relationship dynamics such as friendships and siblings.

The content will feature on social media and supported by paid media. Marketing activity also includes a graffiti wall with an interactive QR code by Global Street Art in Shoreditch for the duration of the campaign. Vapiano is also running a competition with The School of Life for diners to win their own conversation card sets.

Vikki O’Neill, Global Marketing Director, Vapiano said “We’re so excited to partner with The School of Life. We know since lockdown one there’s been a real change to how people interact, and more than ever, people want to be understood and to understand others. After all, it only takes the right kind of question to start a conversation – and our Conversations Over Pasta cards are the perfect start.

“Our restaurants are like nowhere else – they’re spacious, full of natural light with sharing tables and lounge seating, you can sit where you like and stay as long as you want. We’re a home away from home where people can feel comfortable to start a conversation over pasta.”

“What makes a perfect meal shared between friends? It isn’t simply a matter of the food we eat, but the conversations we have around the table” said Jessie Sullivan, Head of Marketing and Communications at The School of Life. “When we’re enjoying the best kind of food, we deserve the best varieties of conversation to go with it. That’s why we’re thrilled to team up with Vapiano on #ConversationsOverPasta. Together, we’ve created a buffet of fascinating talking points, specially selected to deepen friendships and foster the best kind of intimacy, ensuring that our meals together can be everything we hoped.”

Vapiano guests can experience their own conversation over pasta from 19th October to 2nd November 2022 by simply dining in any Vapiano restaurant or ordering a pasta dish from participating online delivery services.