• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

Nestlé-owned Italian mineral water brand S. Pellegrino has entered into a “long-term global partnership” with Maranello, Italy-based luxury sports car company Ferrari.

“S.Pellegrino and Ferrari are deeply rooted in a rich Italian tradition. This alliance leverages their iconic status and cultural relevance to drive global growth, strengthen S.Pellegrino’s position as a premium lifestyle brand, and increase engagement with younger audiences through authentic and innovative brand experiences,” Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages CEO Muriel Lienau said in a statement.

S. Pellegrino is promoting the new partnership through digital, print, and OOH elements across key cities globally. The partnership will include S. Pellegrino collaborating with Ferrari on co-branded marketing activations focused on both brands’ Italian origins and “premium lifestyle experiences,” including exclusive product collaborations with Ferrari’s design center, as well as “immersive and digital-first experiences,” according to a news release on the partnership.

The deal appears, at least in part, to also be driven by Ferrari’s ties to Formula One (F1) racing. As part of the agreement,. S. Pellegrino will collaborate with F1 racing team Scuderia Ferrari HP, and the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli single-make championship first introduced in 1993. In the coming years, S. Pellegrino will also host a series of events globally bringing together “culinary pioneers,” designers, “cultural tastemakers,” and F1 personalities. The experiential activations will support S. Pellegrino’s strategy of appealing to younger consumers via “shared connections, creativity and nourishing experiences,” according to the brand.

In recent years, brand sponsorships and partnerships related to F1 have become an increased focus in marketing strategies for a broad array of brands. Luxury brand LVMH entered into a 10-year sponsorship agreement with F1 back in January. The following month, Rockstar Energy added F1 racing prodigy Lia Block to its athlete roster.

“Across sponsorship and licensing, F1 has partnered with an increasing number of high-quality consumer names,” Formula One Group Derek Chang during a recent Q3 earnings call, citing Hello Kitty and Pottery Barn as two examples, as the league “consistently bring the sport closer to today's multidimensional fan.”