Danone's commitment to people's health and the values of sport goes back a long way. In fact, this commitment was made very clear, thirty years ago, with the sponsorship of the Barcelona '92 Olympic Games. At that time, Cobi, the famous Olympic mascot created by Javier Mariscal, was part of the packaging, posters and numerous merchandising elements, as a sign of the brand's support for this important sporting event that served to make the names of Spain and Barcelona were even better known throughout the world.
Since then, Danone has set itself the goal of promoting healthy and sustainable habits, especially among the youngest, which contribute to preserving the natural habitat and ensuring the health of current and future generations. This purpose was achieved in 2015, with the collaboration with LaLiga in various initiatives related to good nutrition and the dissemination of sports practice, especially youth football.
Danone has also launched its own projects, such as the Danone Sports Schools Social Program and the Danone Nations Cup (DNC), originally known as the Danet Cup, which take advantage of the educational potential of sport to help create a fairer, more egalitarian society cohesive and healthy.
As explained by Fernando Sanz, director of International Institutional Relations and of the LaLiga Ambassadors and Legends Project, “respect, tolerance, camaraderie and teamwork are fundamental aspects for the development of young people. For this reason, for us, it is a pride to work with companies like Danone, which contribute to carry out our work of promoting sporting values".
The DNC has created an ideal framework to make children aware of the benefits of exercise, healthy eating and the need to promote equality in all dimensions of our daily lives. In 2019, this tournament, which is today the largest in the world conceived for girls and boys from 10 to 12 years old, launched a new motto, Play Football, Change the Game, which reflects Danone's desire to "change the rules of the game ” to turn all its young participants into future citizens of a better world.
In the final that year, more than 700 players participated and there were about 15,000 spectators. During this important event, the athletes learned what the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are and voted to select the topics that they considered most important, such as gender equality, the preservation of the oceans, climate action and the fight to eradicate poverty. In addition, the DNC has reinforced, in recent years, its commitment to sustainability, reducing the environmental footprint through recycling and designing 'zero waste' policies, as well as launching various local initiatives.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, “we have experienced a completely exceptional season, without spectators in the stadiums. For this reason, at Danet we wanted to bring our consumers closer to their favorite teams”, says Maria Rodeja, Senior Brand Manager Danet. And now that LaLiga is over, Danet is helping us make waiting for the start of the next season more bearable, with the draw, in the months of June and July, of three daily shirts for teams such as Atlético de Madrid, Fútbol Club Barcelona, Real Madrid or Valencia CF.
To participate, simply scan the QR code that can be found under the lid of Danet products. With this simple operation, we will check, at the moment, if we have been awarded the prize. In addition, with the purchase of three Danone packs, we can get a totally free brand ball.
Danet has a historical relationship with sport, as Rodeja explains, "that goes back to the 1990s, with great success campaigns and very emblematic ambassadors that we all still remember". Names of great sports stars linked to the Danone custard brand arise in our memory, such as footballers Leo Messi, David Villa, Ronaldinho or Iker Casillas, who made the slogan "Shall we repeat?" Or the unforgettable stanza of the song “Natillas Danone, ready to taste […]” which, later, was recovered by sportsmen from the motor world Marc and Álex Márquez.
Thats not all. In 2014, Danone strengthened its link with the Spanish Basketball Team, in order to promote this sport and create children's training programs. The following year, he began sponsoring LaLiga and, in 2016, the Olympic Sports Association and the Olympic team that participated in the Rio Games.
In 2020, Futbol Club Barcelona and Danone North America signed a sponsorship for three seasons, which has allowed the image of the men's and women's teams and the Barça Academy to appear on the packaging of Danone products. And, in this 2022, they have returned to lend their support to the basketball team.
All these initiatives are confirmation of Danone's commitment to spreading sports practices and good habits that help improve our health and also ensure the survival of the planet on which we live.
