Case Study: Ronzoni Pasta

Overview
Expanding Ronzoni Pasta into the St. Louis Market through Strategic Partnership with the St. Louis Blues.

Background
Established in 1915 in Queens, New York, Ronzoni has been a staple in American households for over a century. In 2021, 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, a St. Louis-based company, acquired Ronzoni, aiming to introduce and embed the brand within the St. Louis community.

In April 2024, Gate began a messaging campaign to transition Ronzoni from a local East Coastbrand into a beloved midwestern favorite. The campaign focused first on St. Louis, a market with its own rich culinary traditions and strong community ties. Using eye-catching creative assets and a strong messaging foundation, the campaign’s goal was to capture the empathy of the community and create a visual and emotional connection between Ronzoni and the region.

Challenge
In mid-September 2024, a new retail partnership with Schnucks Markets and a new strategic partnership with the St. Louis Blues accelerated Ronzoni’s adoption and expansion into the St. Louis market. 

The task at hand was ambitious: the St. Louis Blues home opener was scheduled for Oct. 15 and the Ronzoni team wanted to make the most of it. Meanwhile, the partnership with Schnucks required new messaging and creative assets. 

Gate had just three weeks to seamlessly integrate Ronzoni’s messaging into a multi-channel activation campaign that resonated with St. Louis consumers. 

Strategy
Gate leveraged Ronzoni’s existing messaging to create a fast-moving, high-impact campaign across key consumer touchpoints:

  • Retail Integration: Establishing Ronzoni’s presence at Schnuck’s with retail and shelf-placement assets to reinforce brand relevance.
  • Sports Marketing: Aligning with the St. Louis Blues, a team synonymous with local pride, to generate emotional connection and engagement.
  • Out-of-Home Advertising: Deploying a localized billboard campaign with local brand messaging to embed Ronzoni into St. Louis culture.

Execution

Gate moved quickly to integrate the new partnerships into the campaign, executing the strategy with four key tactics:

Billboard Advertising: Strategically placed billboards across St. Louis featured slogans like “We bleed blue, too” and “Your Gateway to Pasta,” creating a visual and emotional connection between Ronzoni and the city’s hockey culture.

Arena Branding: Dynamic video content was displayed on the Enterprise Center’s halo screens and jumbotrons during games. A custom-wrapped Olympia ice resurfacing machine, dubbed the “Ronzoni Olympia,” became a fan favorite, seamlessly integrating the brand into the game-day experience.

In-Arena Animations: Creative animations connected pasta shapes to hockey actions, enhancing brand visibility and engagement during games.

Community Engagement: Targeted messaging resonated with The Hill, St. Louis’s historic Italian neighborhood, acknowledging and honoring the local Italian American heritage.

Results

The campaign yielded remarkable results:

  • Accelerated Sales Growth: Ronzoni saw a dramatic surge in sales at Schnucks Markets, indicating rapid consumer adoption.
  • Seamless Brand Integration: The immersive branding within the Enterprise Center createda strong association between Ronzoni and the St. Louis Blues, making the pasta company feel like a hometown brand. 
  • Industry Recognition: The successful execution led to further opportunities, with the Enterprise Center’s team expressing interest in collaborating with Gate on future projects for other clients and events, expanding beyond hockey into other entertainment avenues.

“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

Wrap-Up

Through a well-orchestrated and culturally resonant campaign, Ronzoni successfully transitioned into the St. Louis market, becoming a brand that locals could identify with and embrace. 

This project wasn’t just about launching a campaign—it was about executing a high-stakes pivot under an intense deadline. In just three weeks, Gate adapted existing brand messaging to activate a high-impact campaign that expanded Ronzoni’s presence in St. Louis and opened doors into the Midwest market.

“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