• by Teresa Buyikian , August 21, 2024

The bright orange Italian aperitivo marks its return to the U.S. Open with a larger experiential footprint, celebrity and fan merchandise.

Aperol announced its second year of sponsorship of the tournament, expanding its presence into Fan Week and the first ever Finals Fan Fest.

Touted as Italy’s #1 cocktail by the brand, the Aperol Spritz, which contains Prosecco, Aperol and soda water with an orange slice, will be served throughout the tournament. The Aperol Spritz Bar is a branded indoor-outdoor patio space next to the Ashe Stadium that will serve, in addition to the spritz, Aperitivo boxes. This year the bar will be open not just during the tournament itself, but also during fan week until Aug. 25. “Emily in Paris” star Ashley Park will be on site for the championship kick-off toast.

"Aperol and the US Open share deep-rooted traditions and values centered around uniting people, making the brand a perfect match for this iconic daytime social event," said Andrea Sengara, Campari America's vice president of marketing, in the announcement.

During the tournament,  Aperol will have an authentic Italian Ape Truck (a three-wheeled small commercial vehicle, common in Italy) on site through Labor Day. There will also be two Aperol Bar Carts inside the stadium.

Also to commemorate the tournament, Aperol has released its branded merchandise line for the first time in the U.S. The initial launch contains a capsule collection of tennis apparel, all with Aperol’s bright orange hue. The merch “leans into popular tenniscore and racquet sport aesthetics,” per the brand. The new line is available at https://us-shop.aperol.com/

To promote its U.S. Open sponsorship, Aperol is using influencer marketing and social media, in addition to launching digital content through paid media, with the highlight being a strategic placement streaming on ESPN.

Aperol is also a partner in the first ever 2024 US Open Finals Fan Fest, which will take place Sept. 7 and 8.