When 8th Avenue Food & Provisions acquired Ronzoni pasta, they faced a unique challenge: how to transplant this beloved Queens, NY brand—a neighborhood fixture since 1881—to the St. Louis market and make it feel like a hometown favorite.
Despite a recent brand refresh and significant investment in social media marketing, Ronzoni needed something more—a way to connect with St. Louis at its core. The solution came through an unexpected but perfect partnership with the St. Louis Blues NHL team, carried out by Gate’s creative team in a way that would transform both the brand’s presence and its perception in the market.
A Marriage of Colors and Culture
Sometimes the best partnerships are written in the stars—or in this case, in the brand guidelines. The deep blues and vibrant golds of Ronzoni’s brand colors matched almost perfectly with the St. Louis Blues’ team colors. This serendipitous alignment became the foundation for a multi-faceted campaign that would introduce Ronzoni to St. Louis sports fans in a way that felt natural and authentic.
“Make St. Louis the new home of Ronzoni,” was the CEO’s directive. This meant more than just placing products on shelves—it meant embracing the culture, the neighborhoods, the traditions, and most importantly, the people of St. Louis. The Blues, as the city’s beloved hockey team, provided the perfect platform for this integration.
From Pitch to Production at Lightning Speed
What began as a pitch deck for a board meeting in June quickly evolved into a full-scale activation campaign. When Scott McNair, the CEO of 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, saw the potential, he called Gate to immediately set things in motion. Gate’s team responded with remarkable speed, developing everything from billboard creative to arena animations in less than three weeks—the time it takes most marketing agencies to schedule a kick-off meeting.
The campaign’s rapid deployment demonstrated Gate’s ability to act as a “SWAT team” for creative execution. With direct lines of communication to key decision-makers and no committee bottlenecks to slow things down, our team was able to move from concept to implementation with unprecedented efficiency.
The comprehensive campaign included:
- Strategic billboard placements across St. Louis featuring clever headlines like “We bleed blue, too” and “Your Gateway to Pasta”
- Dynamic video content for Enterprise Center’s halo screens and jumbotrons
- A custom-wrapped Olympia ice resurfacing machine that became an instant fan favorite
- In-arena animations that connected pasta shapes to hockey action
- Targeted messaging that connected with The Hill, St. Louis’s historic Italian neighborhood
A Technical and Creative Triumph
The Enterprise Center’s production team praised Gate as “the fastest, most efficient, and accurate” creative partner they’d ever worked with. This wasn’t just about creative concepts—it was about flawless technical execution. Our team had to ensure that every animation, every video, and every graphic element met the exact specifications required for the arena’s various display systems.
The in-arena experience was particularly noteworthy. During the Ronzoni warmups, the entire Enterprise Center is surrounded by Ronzoni branding, creating an immersive experience that connects the pasta brand with the excitement of Blues hockey. The custom-wrapped Olympia ice resurfacing machine is now a crowd favorite, seamlessly integrating the Ronzoni brand into one of hockey’s most iconic traditions.
Making an Impact in the Market
The results were immediate and impressive. Within just three weeks of launching the campaign and placing Ronzoni products on the shelves of Schnucks Markets, sales reportedly increased by thousands of percentage points. But perhaps even more significant was how quickly St. Louis embraced Ronzoni as its own.
The campaign’s success opened new doors for Gate as well. The Enterprise Center’s team was so impressed with the execution that they expressed interest in working with Gate on future projects for other clients and events at the arena, expanding beyond hockey into other entertainment opportunities.
Beyond the Boards: A New Chapter
The Ronzoni Blues campaign represents more than just a successful brand launch—it’s a masterclass in regional marketing activation. By connecting with St. Louis through its beloved hockey team and creating a campaign that felt both authentic and exciting, Gate helped Ronzoni establish itself as the St. Louis pasta brand. By the time Gate was done, it felt like Ronzoni had always been part of the city’s vibrant culture.
Sometimes, the best marketing doesn’t just tell a story—it creates one. It’s about finding those perfect points of connection, those moments where color matches color, where pasta shapes dance across sports arenas, and where an ice resurfacer becomes a beloved brand ambassador.
For Gate, this project marks an exciting convergence of food industry marketing and sports entertainment, demonstrating our ability to execute complex, multi-faceted campaigns with precision and creativity. As the campaigns continue to run in the Enterprise Center through December and potentially beyond, one thing is clear: this story of pasta, hockey, and St. Louis pride is just beginning to unfold.
“We were on an extremely tight timeline to make it to the Home Opener. Little did we know that Gate would be one of the fastest, most efficient, and accurate agencies we’ve worked with. From the moment we sent over specs, we received storyboards and graphics soon after that were creative and meaningful to the brand. The graphics were well thought out and did not feel rushed, even in a rushed environment.”
~ Amy Johnson
Business Development Executive for the St. Louis Blues
When 8th Avenue Food & Provisions acquired Ronzoni in 2021, we needed an agency that could make this iconic brand feel at home in St. Louis. Gate didn’t just understand the assignment—they NAILED it. They wove together the cultural fabric of The Hill with the passion of Blues hockey to create something truly special. The arena takeover during warmups, the branded LED displays, and especially the Ronzoni ‘Zamboni’—it all came together perfectly. I only wish I had found John and the team at Gate 20 years sooner.
~ Scott McNair
CEO, 8th Avenue Food and Provisions
Ready to Make Your Mark?
Whether you’re looking to launch a brand, create an unforgettable experience, or stake your claim in a new market, Gate’s proven ability to execute complex, multi-channel campaigns with speed, creativity, and precision could be the game-changer you need. From billboards to digital displays, from sports partnerships to retail activation, we create campaigns that not only reach audiences but resonate with them.
We are Gate. Let’s do this together.