The season of football kit launches is upon us, and Heinz is getting in on the action with a kit dedicated to the caterers and servers who play a crucial yet overlooked role in the lives of sports fans.

Created as part of a brand awareness campaign in Italy by Dude Milan, the kit is geared towards the sandwich makers who work outside stadiums in Italy and keep fans fed on matchday.

Designed in partnership with Italian sportswear brand Kappa, the kit takes the form of an apron that features both Heinz and Kappa branding, a club badge, a collar featuring a sauce motif, and the number 57.

The name of the kit, Paninari, nods to the sandwich makers themselves, but it also shares its name with a Milanese fashion subculture that was prominent in the late 20th century.

The paninari would be decked out in big fashion brands and hang out near fast food eateries in the city centre. This backstory makes it a fitting name for a campaign between a food brand and a clothing brand.

The apron’s features are dialled up in the campaign film, which playfully parodies football kit launch promos. The kit is unlikely to be stocked in your usual stores – expect to see it instead across social, including in content with influencers from the worlds of food and sport.

Credits:
Agency: Dude Milan
Chief Creative Officers & Partners: Livio Basoli, Lorenzo Picchiotti
Creative Directors: Davide Labò, Luca Riva
Head of Content: Ludovica D’Aquino
Senior Art Director: Antonio Gambino
Copywriter: Alessandro Magnani
Photographer: Glauco Canalis
Director and Editor: Gabriele Crotti