Barilla Plans More 'Inclusive' Ads Following Chairman's Anti-Gay Comments

Backlash 'helped open our eyes and ears'

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Better late than never?

Six weeks after its chairman's anti-gay comments provoked consumer backlash worldwide, Italian pasta maker Barilla says it is taking steps to show it has learned from the experience—and is even planning more inclusive ads, which Guido Barilla (above) said the company would never do.

Barilla himself has has at least eight meetings with gay organizations and activists in Italy and in the U.S., according to Reuters. "Italy is a very insular country, and in cities like Parma it's even more so," a rep says.

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