The name “Melissa’’ (bee) was given to our pasta products by Aleksandros Kikizas in 1947 when he was inspired by the hard working and proud bee. Ever since, Melissa was embraced by consumers for the constantly high quality of its pasta, its packages, its good prices, its special offers, its wide variety, its advertisements, the universal motto of pasta lovers, as well as the constant brand development and its opening into new categories of products. Melissa Package The very first pasta package was cylindrical and decorated by …a bee. Over the years and through the advancement of technology, Melissa’s packages started being made out of paper, only to be later replaced by the well-known pasta cellophane. As decades went by, the packages imprinted different aesthetic characteristics of each time, with arguably the most characteristic being the “Little Chefs”, always bearing the same logo with white letters on red background. Eventually, the colours that have come to distinguish the pasta packages are the blue and the yellow. Throughout the past decade, each Melissa pack has been carefully sealed, in order not to allow contact with external elements; it has a sticker for easy opening and storage, as well as a dispenser. 
Melissa Advertisements The first Melissa TV commercials were aired at the end of the 1970’s with the most characteristic motto being “Choose Health and Tastiness. Choose Melissa!” and “I solved my cooking problems with Melissa!” However, it was in 1990 that the motto which established the brand, was created. It has been loved dearly by consumers and is still used today. How many among Greek people have not said, joked or just smiled when hearing the phrase “I am a pasta lover. What can we do about it?” The timeless commercial was imprinted in Greek people’s hearts, thus, creating committed pasta lovers! At the end of the 1990’s other advertising campaigns of Melissa were inaugurated, such as “Pasta from good pastry” “The Pasta of the pasta lovers”, which were soon followed by the restoration of the contemporary Pasta Lover in 2005. Year by year, the Pasta Lover changes shape, style, age – he is dressed up to be a groom, a father, a model in a fashion show, a child, Santa Clause – always having as a common denominator his adoration for a dish of yummy Melissa pasta! Excellent Quality The constant investment in new technologies and in latest technical equipment, the strict controls and the wheat of the Thessaly valley as its raw material, contribute in attaining the excellent quality of Melissa pasta. Distribution and variety Melissa pasta can be found in every corner of Greece from large super-markets to small grocery stores in remote regions of the country. It offers a wide variety and provides the consumer with a number of choices. Long macaroni, thick pasta, slim pasta, which are ideal for soups, and, of course, our beloved Melissa pearl barley for giouvetsi; cannelloni, vermicelli, noodles, tagliatelle as well as wheat and durum wheat semolina for the desserts, and many other kinds.
Opening to New Categories Melissa’s Marketing team, following the latest trends of the market, constantly works on new projects, in order to offer consumers new, high quality and diversified from the competition, suggestions. The pasta series “tricolore” (with tomato and spinach), pasta withcarrot and the special tortellini tastes, are only a few examples. Whole grain pasta, using the whole seed of wheat has acquired devoted consumers among people who look for the healthiest diet choice. Moreover, Melissa has recently launched the new series Melissa Gluten Free with delicious pasta for kids and grownups which do not contain gluten and are made of corn and rise.
Melissa leads the way, since it is the first and only pasta company which created the very first series of Kids Pasta. Melissa Pasta Kids have ‘overturned’ the mainstream on pasta shelves, given that they have as their strong supporters the … young Pasta lovers and are available in different shapes with the most beloved children’s heroes. On Christmas 2011, Melissa launched on the Greek market the first Christmas pasta package, calling for kids and adults to … create and to cook with the Christmas spirit of our holidays!
