Ferrari has today (Thursday) unveiled a new livery as main sponsor, US cigarette and tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI), returns to a more prominent branding association with the Formula One motor-racing team.
Ferrari will retain its predominantly red colour scheme, but Philip Morris has chosen to promote its new ‘Mission Winnow’ project through white logos added to the car’s nose, halo, sidepods, engine cover and rear wing.
Mission Winnow is designed to be a new global initiative to create engagement around the role of science, technology and innovation as a powerful force for good in any industry. The global initiative takes to the tracks this weekend for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Seb and Kimi reveal the new @MissionWinnow logo! PMI’s commitment to driving a better future by constant improvement. @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/ReNAeVGWQU
— Mission Winnow (@MissionWinnow) October 4, 2018
“Through Mission Winnow we want to let the world know how we have changed, to share our pride in the transformation that the people of PMI have achieved, as well as our dedication to rigorous science and innovation that can lead to a better future,” André Calantzopoulos, chief executive of PMI, said.
“We will use this global platform as a window into the new PMI and to challenge preconceptions, as we know there are many who may have doubts about us and our motivations. Our partnership with Scuderia Ferrari gives us the opportunity to build on many encouraging individual conversations with critics and supporters alike and reach out to a broad audience to engage at scale.”
In February, PMI pledged to work with Ferrari to promote smoke-free products after confirming an extension of its long-running partnership with the team. Philip Morris began sponsoring Ferrari in the mid-1980s and its new multi-year deal will run until 2021.
PMI said the word ‘winnow’ was selected because it perfectly describes the “meticulous and disciplined route” that the company is following to achieve its vision of a smoke-free future. Calantzopoulos added: “Mission Winnow encapsulates our commitment to strive for better in everything we do. To winnow, or to discard old approaches, is what we at PMI are doing—we take learnings from past mistakes to shape our future.”
The partnership between Ferrari and Philip Morris is one of the most inconspicuous sponsorships in sport, with advertising laws dictating that the company has not displayed its Marlboro cigarette brand at an F1 race since 2007.
A European Union ban on tobacco advertising in the sport started in 2005. However, territories including China and Monaco allowed Ferrari to carry Marlboro branding until 2007. Ferrari has since retained the red and white colour scheme synonymous with Marlboro in its team livery and corporate branding.
Riccardo Parino, PMI’s vice-president for global events partnerships, added, according to the Autosport website: “We are coming back with a new initiative after 10 years that we didn’t have any branding on the F1 car on the track.
“It’s very important to say the logo, the campaign, is not related to any tobacco products. It’s about us. It’s about the fact our company is going to transform, it’s going to move to a totally different set of initiatives for a better future.
“It’s very important to be with Ferrari because Ferrari exemplified the passion and this constant improvement that is the base for our future.”