Barcelona and Nestlé partner to for kids health initiative
FC Barcelona have agreed a new sponsorship deal with Nestlé which will see the two work together to champion education, nutrition and sport.
Barcelona's Manuel Arroyo (left) with Patrice Bula at the announcement conference for the new deal
The four-year agreement with the multinational food and drink company will see Nestlé Milo - a chocolate and malt powder drink - become the official club sponsor in Asia and Nestlé’s Nesquik brand being used for the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region.
The partnership will the highlight the relationship between sport and nutrition and involve the two working together to promote a healthier lifestyle and to highlight the importance of physical exercise among children.
Using Barcelona’s huge global reach Nestlé Milo will look to boost the awareness of its sport and nutrition programmes which it claims sees 22 million children participate in worldwide.
Barcelona’s vice president for marketing and communications, Manuel Arroyo, said: “The global sponsorship deal with Nestlé Milo consolidates the attempts to make the club more global and reinforces the club's association with market leaders. Nestlé Milo, like FC Barcelona, believes in the importance of playing sport from a young age as a key tool for learning essential values for children’s development.”
Nestlé’s South Asian executive vice president, Patrice Bula, added: “With this partnership, we aim to help make a difference to lives of millions of kids across the world.
“As the world’s largest food manufacturer, with our consumer penetration reach, means we can, and we must make a difference to the lives of kids across the world. By educating the youth about the importance of sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle, we can build a better future for the next generation.
"Regularly taking part in sport, kids learn from an early age, the values of fairness, effort, respect and confidence. Building on these shared values, we are delighted to partner with FC Barcelona to develop a series of sports programmes designed to encourage more kids to take part in sport and enjoy a balanced diet.”
The sponsorship deal includes image, association, marketing, publicity, digital, promotion, merchandising and hospitality rights, as well as different activities with FCB Escola.
It will also strengthen the Catalan club's commercial presence in Asia following on from its new shirt sponsor, Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten.