SPONSORS
Fiorentina
Nintendo
1997 — 1999
In the late 1990s, Nintendo found an unlikely home in Florence. A video game giant, a Serie A club, and one of football’s most distinctive shirts came together, turning a sponsorship into something closer to pop culture.
THE STORY
In the late 1990s, Nintendo found an unlikely home in Florence. The deal was driven by GiG, the Italian distributor of Nintendo products, whose roots were firmly planted in the Florence area. Looking to push Nintendo beyond the world of children’s toys and into mainstream popular culture, GiG turned to one of Italy’s most visible football clubs. From 1997 to 1999, Nintendo appeared on Fiorentina’s shirts alongside names like Batistuta and Rui Costa, an early example of gaming, football and brand culture colliding long before such partnerships became commonplace.
