With the Australian Open done and dusted for 2024, it feels as though one nation brought more heat down under than any other… even more so when looking through the lens of our liquor industry.
That nation is, of course, Italy: Jannik Sinner played an absolute scorcher against Daniil Medvedev, hitting 14 aces on his way to becoming the first Italian man to win gold at any Australian Open. What’s more, he did so against the backdrop of what could be described as the ultimate marketing opportunity for Italian brand event partners Aperol and Peroni.
“What a fantastic game. It was a fitting end to an incredible 15 days’ play,” said Scott Templeton, Asahi Beverages’ Group Head of Commercial Partnerships.
Templeton reflects that the Australian Open is one of the biggest marketing opportunities on the Australian calendar.
“There are few Australian events, sporting or otherwise, bigger than the Australian Open that deliver such an experience in both quantity and quality. Sport has an amazing power to deliver unique 1:1 experiences at a nearly endless scale, and few do it better in such concentration than the AO.
“Tennis Australia has done a great job over the years in building out the festive nature of the Grand Slam – be it live music, food, or merely getting together with friends.
“All these lead to moments where a cold Peroni Nastro Azzurro, or Peroni Capri can be responsibly enjoyed by beer lovers.”
James Mills, Senior Brand Manager – Italian Icons at Campari group, was also moved by Sinner’s performance.
“It is very exciting – we are proud of our Italian roots! Sinner is a young star in the making. We’ll keep our eye on him that’s for sure,” he said.
“It has been so exciting to be back at the Australian Open and bring a slice of Italian culture to the Grand Slam Oval.
“The Australian Open is the biggest event in the Australian summer calendar, and with Aperol Spritz being the drink of the summer, this is the perfect partnership.”
Aperol recently resigned as a Tennis Australia partner for the coming four years, making the Italian victory taste all the sweeter.
“This includes the Brisbane International, Adelaide International, Hobart International and the Australian Open,” said James.
“Both tennis and the Aperol Spritz are synonymous with summer in Australia, making this the perfect partnership between two summer icons.”
For the 2024 Open, the Aperol team could be found operating their bespoke bar, the Terrazza Aperol, on Grand Slam Oval. Complete with bean bags, a 15-metre-long bar and an antipasto box, Terrazza Aperol recreated the sort of Southern-Italian summertime bliss that, naturally, pairs best with an Aperol Spritz.
James believes that, despite hailing from opposite corners of the globe, there is quite a bit of cultural crossover between Italy’s Mediterranean coastline culture and the Australian market, creating opportunity for the growth of Mediterranean products.
“There are quite a few similarities: in both Italy and Australia, we are known to enjoy our summers near the water while having a drink with friends in the sunshine.
“We’ve been fortunate to be able to further cement Aperol Spritz into Australian summer culture thanks to these similarities.”
James partly credits the recent rapid growth of Aperol in Australia to these cultural parallels.
“It’s actually something we’ve been doing since Campari Australia’s inception in 2010; integrating Italian drinking traditions into Australian culture.
“A decade ago, Aperol Spritz was unknown to many Australians; today, it has evolved into a symbol of Italian conviviality, bringing Italian joy of life to any occasions.”
Scott Templeton believes these similarities also translate into the beer space.
“There is a certain premium nature that is true of both Mediterranean Culture and the international premium beer category, and our Peroni Capri activation on Grand Slam Oval really leaned into that link.
“I think that little elevated sense of occasion, and that little luxury, appeals to Aussie beer drinkers.”
A complete look at all the drinks brands behind the 2024 Australian open can be found here.
