The deal will see Heineken take the naming rights to three Formula One races, beginning with the Italian Grand Prix, now to be known as the Formula One Gran Premio Heineken D’Italia in Monza.
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A release issued to the global media, including in Jamaica, at 1:00 pm today, by Heneiken, brewers of Jamaica’s Red Stripe beer, confirmed that: “Heineken and Formula One Management have reached an agreement for Heineken to become a global partner of Formula 1”.
Mariann Skar, its general secretary, said: “Formula One should ask themselves if they want to be an event about sport/driving/cars or an alcohol brand event?”
Central to the partnership will be a clearly articulated and compelling “responsibility” message.
Heineken is eager to push itself and F1 beyond the core TV broadcasting audience, on which the latter has relied for far too long. Around 30 percent of the visibility will be a new campaign called “If you drink, never drive”.
Heineken, who have appointed three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, and David Coulthard, a 13-time race victor, as their brand ambassadors, will also launch a “If You Drive, Never Drink” campaign.
“Locally and globally we are excited about this partnership, Manunta said. The world is going to notice that we are in F1”, Gianluca Di Tondo, Senior Director, Global Heineken Brand, told Reuters.
“I think this is the most significant thing for motorsport for many years”, says Sir Jackie Stewart. F1 represents a unique opportunity for Heineken to engage with existing and potential consumers in important growth markets.
“Can we make F1 as big as the Champions League?” I am very pleased to welcome them to the Formula One family and look forward to the scale and quality of their activation at and away from F1 Events.
He added: “This partnership complements our existing global platforms, enabling us to reach F1’s huge spectator numbers and 400 million unique television viewers every year”.
“We are both in the innovation and enjoyment business and I hope this is the start of a long and special relationship”.
Bernie Ecclestone, who welcomed the new deal by saying: “When I have a beer, I have always been happy with a Heineken”, has also appreciated the benefit to the sport of bringing in new fans by allowing Heineken to use race footage in their material, something he has zealously guarded in the past, denying it even to race promoters.
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One of Heineken’s strengths over the years has been its promotion of the UEFA Champions League and the Rugby World Cup via digital and social media platforms, an area Ecclestone has struggled to exploit over the years.
