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Carosello and Advertising

In February 1957, three years after Rai's first television broadcast, something new barged onto Italy's TV screens - Carosello. Those were the years when the economic miracle, optimism and a desire to grow were pushing Italian society forward. Enrico Mattei commissioned an advert for Agip petrol: "Supercortemaggiore, powerful Italian petrol." Three young talents were chosen to make the advert: director Luciano Emmer and actors Dario Fo and Franca Rame. They created funny stories where 'super petrol' was the solution to every problem. Their first advert was broadcast in 1958 and contributed to a growth in market share. The Six-Legged Dog petrol made a statement also because of its high octane number and a decidedly aggressive pricing policy. In the years that followed, new animated adverts appeared with Gabriele Ferzetti and Franca Rame, then spots with Alberto Bonucci (the famous supporting actor in many of Totò's films) and finally, more recently, adverts with Raffaella Carrà and Niki Lauda promoting Eni's newly designed service stations