The new landmark global partnership between KitKat and Formula 1® (F1®), making KitKat the Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1, will play a key role in Nestlé International Travel Retail’s (NITR) consumer engagement strategy as of the end of 2025.
Announced in November 2024, this three-year collaboration marks Nestlé's largest global brand partnership to date, signalling its ambition to reach a wider audience and achieve a higher rate of global growth.
With a fanbase of more than 820 million fans worldwide, Formula 1 continues to grow in popularity particularly with a younger and more diverse audience and benefits from an immersive digital ecosystem.
Through this partnership, KitKat wants to bring its iconic "Have a Break, Have a KitKat" message to more people and enable them to take a moment to pause.
The collaboration will officially launch during the 2025 season, marking the 90th anniversary of KitKat and the 75th anniversary of Formula 1. It will then expand across the world throughout 2026. For NITR, it provides an exceptional opportunity to capitalise and build on the many consumer activations and promotional prizes (such as tickets and merchandise) starting with Mexico this year.
“With its global appeal and busy international schedule, Formula 1 offers KitKat the perfect platform from which to remind everyone to make time for a break. F1’s global prominence also makes it perfect for the travel environment as a platform to bring together the fun of KitKat with the thrill of motorsport and create memorable experiences for fans wherever they may be,” says NITR general manager Fred Porchet. “Indeed, this makes the potential for the partnership in global travel retail sizable, as we can leverage the full F1 calendar and worldwide events through airports globally.
NITR is now working closely with prospective creative agencies to develop meaningful campaigns that will combine the excitement and thrill of F1 motorsport with the fun, cheerful and light-hearted KitKat brand whilst, at the same time, utilising the GTR added advantages of product exclusivity and sense of place.
The partnership – and opportunities it presents for global travel retail – is also perfect as NITR seeks to engage better with Gen Z consumers. “We know how important it is to focus on personalisation, sense of place and experience if we are to attract the attention of Gen Z consumers,” Porchet continues. “The Formula 1 KitKat partnership is perfect for this, bringing together two powerful brands that lend themselves to gamification, retailtainment and engagement. Formula 1 is a global phenomenon with a rapidly growing, diverse fanbase, especially among the younger generation and so is the perfect mechanism to introduce into GTR.”
About Nestlé
Nestlé’s ambition is to be the world's recognised leading Nutrition Health and Wellness company, and the industry reference for financial performance, trusted by all stakeholders. For more than 150 years, the company has enhanced lives by offering tastier and healthier food and beverage choices for all stages of life, helping consumers care for themselves and their families. Nestlé has built its success by anticipating the future and continuously adapting itself to meet the needs of consumers globally.
For more information about Nestlé please visit www.nestle.com and www.nestletravelretail.com.
Press contact: Row Holland, Essential Communications. Tel +44 (0) 7525 234265. Email: row@essencompr.com
May 2025