Dive Brief:

• Barilla Pasta has become the target of a boycott from the LGBT community after recent public comments, stating that his company would never make an ad spot with a homosexual family.
• Guido Barilla, the president of Barilla brand pasta made the controversial statements during an interview with La Zanzara, an Italian radio program.
• The LGBT community has a purchasing power which stands near $800 billion annually.

Dive Insight:

German pasta competitor Bertolli seized the opportunity to showcase itself as an alternative to Barilla on its Facebook page, according to details reported by Adweek. Amid wide-spread public backlash, Guido Barilla released a formal apology for his comments.