Peroni Nastro Azzurro Reclaims Its Iconic Italian Identity

The 'Only' campaign with McCann London showcases Italy's most cultural defining monuments and challenges convention, placing the beer amongst classic treasures

By Creative Salon

23 March 2026

Peroni Nastro Azzurro, the world’s Number 1 premium Italian lager, has launched its new global platform, “ONLY”. Created by McCann London, the platform positions the brand as a stylish, Italian icon of the beer category, defying category conventions to bring boldness and iconicity back to the brand. Because, as the Peroni family said at its launch in 1963: “Peroni Nastro Azzurro is more than a beer, it’s an Italian masterpiece”.

The platform launches with a campaign that places Peroni Nastro Azzurro shoulder to shoulder with Italy’s legendary cultural symbols — the Trevi Fountain, The Birth of Venus, and Scuderia Ferrari. Inspired by the charming Italian habit of downplaying something that is clearly perfect, each masterpiece is described as “ONLY a fountain”, “ONLY a painting”, and “ONLY a car”. After all, as Michelangelo once said: “I only removed everything that wasn’t David”, and as Enzo Ferrari once said: “I only take engines and attach wheels to them”. The launch film was directed by French filmmaker Fleur Fortuné.

The global campaign spans experience, activations, social, influencer partnerships, sponsorships, above-the-line and on- and off-trade activity. It launches today (March 23) in the UK across AV, social and below-the-line, with further activity including iconic OOH sites to follow. Additional markets will roll out in the coming months, including the Republic of Ireland and Italy at the end of April, marking the start of a global campaign. A consumer PR event will take place in London later this spring, building on the success of Peroni Nastro Azzurro and McCann’s Fontana di Peroni Christmas activation on the Southbank.

The platform is elevated further by a new clean and contemporary brand world, created in partnership with brand-led strategy and design studio FutureBrand. The new aesthetic connects every channel cohesively, from advertising to on-and off-trade. The brand world uses a confident, stylish graphic approach, clean white space, an effortless photographic art direction, and Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s distinctive blue.

Carly Burford, Global Brand Director at Peroni Nastro Azzurro, said: “Peroni Nastro Azzurro was born in Italy during the La Dolce Vita era, a moment defined by boldness, optimism, and a new expression of Italian style. From the very beginning, the brand set out to do something different: to bring style, imagination, and a category-defining presence to the beer world. When Peroni Nastro Azzurro arrived in markets like the UK, it disrupted the category by proving that beer could be more than just refreshment. It could be an icon of style and taste, something to desire.

“‘ONLY’ is our statement of intent to do that again. This platform marks the global re-introduction of Peroni Nastro Azzurro and signals how we intend to show up in the category moving forward — with originality, effortless Italian style, and the ambition to stand apart from a category that too often looks and feels the same,” she continued.

Malgorzata Lubelska, Category & Global Brand CMO, Asahi Europe & International, said: “Creativity drives growth, and in this category, dull is expensive, so only bold, memorable work will cut through. By reconnecting the brand with its iconic Italian identity and working hand-in-hand with our markets, we’re building a distinctive, consistent brand world across every touchpoint to strengthen memory structures and drive penetration for Peroni Nastro Azzurro in a way that only this brand could do.”

Mel Arrow, CEO, McCann London commented: “The Trevi fountain, a gleaming red Ferrari, ‘The Birth of Venus’ and Peroni Nastro Azzurro... all Italian icons in their own right. Well done McCann London and un sacco d’amoré to the Peroni Nastro Azzurro team for daring to make something distinctive in a category known for its sameness. We hope the ‘ONLY’ platform is the start of something brilliant.”

Rob Webster and Alexei Berwitz, Creative Directors McCann London added: “The best of Italian art and design has refinement, mastery, and a single-minded confidence. With this new platform, McCann and Peroni Nastro Azzurro have set out on a journey to bottle some of that magic.”

Globally, Peroni Nastro Azzurro is the #1 Premium Italian beer. In the UK, where the through-the-line campaign launches initially, the brand is the most loved premium lager brand and makes up 22% of all packaged lagers sold, making it number one.

Global Media strategy was handled by Zenith UK.