Heinz x Kappa: The Heinz Uniform

With the new 24/25 season football kits and sponsors being revealed at club level all across Italy, Heinz and Kappa have collaborated to tap into the end of season football conversation linking the worlds of food and football with their very own ‘kit’. While it’s an ambition for most brands to become the main sponsor on a top team’s jersey, Heinz is focusing on the most important team of all: the one working outside the stadiums, feeding the legions of fans week in, week out, all over the country.

Following up on the “Stadium heroes” campaign earlier this year that celebrated sandwich makers as real football heroes, “The Heinz Uniform” launches today.

Created by DUDE Milan, the nationwide brand awareness campaign runs across social channels with influencer activity featuring a selection of Italy’s most authentic and well-known influencers in the worlds of food, football and football memorabilia. (see Notes to Editors for full list and links).

The campaign features a specially designed apron inspired by the traditions of both Heinz and Kappa. The apron symbolizes the bond between two iconic worlds—food and football—celebrating the paninari (the sandwich makers) who enhance the matchday experience for countless fans. The apron’s pattern mimics the iconic squeezes of Heinz ketchup on thousands of sandwiches at every match. It includes a white collar, reminiscent of football jerseys, and the number 57, a nod to Heinz's heritage. The Kappa bands on the sides recall the design of their most iconic jerseys, and the apron is embroidered with the logo of the ‘Paninari Foodball Club’. It features highly specialized functional design elements - safety lacing, heatproof, stain resistant - similar to the meticulous details considered when creating athletic apparel.

Kappa is renowned for its influential role in the Italian and international sports landscape, having created iconic jerseys for both national football teams and clubs in the past. Currently, it is the technical sponsor for many national teams, such as the Fédération Tunisienne de Football, European clubs like AS Monaco, and numerous Italian clubs, including ACF Fiorentina, Genoa CFC, and Brescia Calcio.

‘The Heinz Uniform’ builds on the ‘Proud Sponsor of Calcio Mangiato’ (“Calcio Mangiato” is an Italian wordplay literally meaning “Eaten Football”) creative platform launched at the beginning of this year, that aims to establish a long-lasting role for Heinz in the world of Italian football.

Media was by Carat Dentsu.