Consider Dry January just a warmup for Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. The non-alcoholic Italian brew is kicking off 2024 with a new multi-year partnership with Scuderia Ferrari, one of the most popular and successful teams in Formula 1® racing history.
“This is a premier partnership,” says Cara Lauritzen, senior marketing manager for Peroni. “Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% and Scuderia Ferrari are two iconic Italian brands with a rich heritage and shared values of style, quality and passion.”
Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% will be a visible part of Scuderia Ferrari’s race days, with logo placement on cars, as well as the drivers’ helmets and suits. The partnership will also come to life with new retail tools, new digital, social, out-of-home advertising and co-branded merchandise.
In a short online video shot in the style of classic spy movies, Scuderia Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz promote the new partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.
The partnership represents a match made in Italy.
“Our two great companies have many values in common, such as an eye for detail and style, as well as an ability to combine tradition and innovation in our respective fields,” says Frédéric Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari team principal and general manager.
Lauritzen says there’s “a natural synergy between Scuderia Ferrari and Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.”
“Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% is one of the most stylish and best-tasting alcohol-free beverages yet. You can hold a bottle when out with friends and colleagues, and still have that badge value. Through this partnership, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% aims to drive recognition and awareness while celebrating the Italian passion of Scuderia Ferrari and F1® fans all over the world,” she says.
A grand giveaway
Formula 1 might have been seen as a predominately European sport not too long ago, but that’s quickly changing. According to a report from Statista in 2022, the sport has an American base of more than 49.2 million fans; it has grown by nearly 60% since 2021, according to Nielsen. Like last year, this year’s racing schedule features three domestic races, in Miami, Las Vegas and Austin, Texas.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% also wants to bring legal-age fans closer to the action. Fans can enter for a chance to win tickets for a future U.S. race weekend experience, including hotel accommodations, transportation and co-branded Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% and Scuderia Ferrari merchandise on social media and by scanning QR codes.
Tapping into a dedicated fanbase
Along with the team partnership, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% will celebrate Scuderia Ferrari’s fanbase, called the Tifosi. With hundreds of millions of fans, according to a Watermelon Research and CSM Global Sports Fan Survey 2022, the Tifosi are known as some of the most passionate in the sport. The Scuderia Ferrari Club’s 2023 Handbook also notes that there are 195 official Scuderia Ferrari clubs across more than 20 countries, including the United States.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% will have limited edition “Tifosi-branded” bottles that fans have a chance to win. And the fans factor into the spy trailer starring Leclerc and Sainz. Titled “The Brake In,” the ad features the two breaking into the Birra Peroni brewery in Rome, and then changing the beer labels on Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% bottle labels to "Tifosi Nastro Azzurro 0.0%" labels.
“The Tifosi are the biggest and most vocal fanbase in F1,” says Lauritzen. “They live every moment, and their passion is contagious.”
Non-alc is on a roll
Peroni 0.0% launched last February while the larger non-alc beer segment has been on a tear, doubling its share of total beer over the last two years, according to Circana. And while it accounts for .68 share of total beer volume, non-alc beer is growing faster than flavored beverages, it’s bigger than cider and is outpacing the category in terms of growth.
“There’s an enormous opportunity with consumers who are trying out NA beers and making them part of their lifestyle,” says Lauritzen.
A $368 million opportunity, according to Circana, if anyone’s counting.
Peroni 0.0% has seen positive momentum since its February launch and is ready for the next step, says Lauritzen.
“We heard from consumers that they prefer it to other non-alc European imports and that they’d buy it regularly. They specifically called out how similar Peroni 0.0% tastes to Peroni Nastro Azurro,” says Lauritzen. “Even better, it’s a basket builder at retail with shoppers picking it up in addition to their planned beer purchase. With our Scuderia Ferrari partnership, we’re excited to introduce even more people to Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.”