Return of Cult Sip Ad with Massimo Lopez After Over 30 Years Surprises Italians

Italian television experienced an unexpected return to the past on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Major TV channels, such as Rai 1, re-aired after more than three decades the cult commercial of the former telephone monopoly Sip from 1994. The ad features popular Italian actor and comedian Massimo Lopez, known from the program "Mai dire Gol". The ad's slogan is "Una telefonata allunga la vita", which loosely translates to "A phone call lengthens life". The sketch shows Lopez playing a French Foreign Legion soldier sentenced to execution, who, thanks to the opportunity to call home, gains hope and strength to survive. The viewers' reaction was immediate and massive. Social media, particularly platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, were flooded with comments expressing astonishment and nostalgia. Many users shared childhood or youth memories, asking if this was a sign to pull old mobile phones out of drawers, like the legendary Nokia 3310. The broadcast was described as a perfectly planned "nostalgia operation" that hit the sentimental feelings of the generation that grew up in the 90s. Italian news portals, from "Il Fatto Quotidiano" to "il Giornale", noted this event as a media phenomenon. Sip ads from the 90s, often featuring famous actors and comedians, became part of mass culture in Italy. In the era before the liberalization of the telecommunications market and the dominance of smartphones, these ads created an image of the telephone as a tool connecting people and saving relationships. The Sanremo Festival, held continuously since 1951, is the most important music event in Italy, watched annually by millions of viewers and being a powerful marketing platform.The main mystery remains the strategic goal of this move. Most analyzed media point to a connection with this year's 76th Italian Song Festival in Sanremo, which began on February 24. The main partner of the festival is the Italian operator TIM, the direct successor of Sip. According to information from the Adnkronos service, the broadcast of the old ad is said to be a "teaser" for a new marketing campaign that TIM is to launch precisely during the festival. Such a strategy would combine the power of a nostalgic brand with the huge audience of Sanremo, creating a bridge between tradition and modernity. „Dietro l'operazione potrebbe esserci una strategia legata al Festival di Sanremo 2026, di cui TIM è partner, in un mix studiato di memoria e marketing.” (Behind the operation could be a strategy linked to the 2026 Sanremo Festival, of which TIM is a partner, in a studied mix of memory and marketing.) — Il Giornale.it The TIM company has not yet officially confirmed these reports, leaving room for speculation. Regardless of the final explanation, the return of the Massimo Lopez ad proved the lasting power of iconic advertising content and its ability to stir collective emotions decades later.