Michael Nino l'imbianchino

When a Small Business Owner Became a Serie A Sponsor

You can play football in the lower divisions, work as a painter and decorator, and drive an old, battered van — yet one day, you might still see your name on the shirt of a Serie A club.

That is exactly what happened to Michael Nino, a 26-year-old painter and decorator from Villadossola, near Domodossola. During Udinese’s match against Roma on 26 October 2013, the club’s players wore a message on their shirts that read:

“MICHAEL NINO imbianchino”

Instead of the usual Dacia logo, Udinese’s shirts promoted Michael and his profession. It was not a joke, a mistake or an unusual art project. Michael was the winner of the Dacia Sponsor Day, a marketing campaign created by the car manufacturer to give small Italian businesses the opportunity to become the club’s shirt sponsor for one match.

To enter the competition, participants had to submit a short video presenting their business. Michael introduced his work and, in particular, the old and almost broken-down van he used every day while travelling through the mountain towns of the Ossola Valley.

As Michael later explained, that van may have been what made the biggest impression.

He was a self-employed tradesman involved in painting, decorating and drywall installation. He had no more than three employees, and the competition was aimed at small business owners with annual revenues below €100,000. The campaign’s goal was to highlight the quality, hard work and value for money that represent the foundation of small Italian businesses.

Michael did not reach Serie A because of his football career. He was a passionate football fan, played as a defender for Piedimulera in the Promozione league and coached Villaggio Sismico in an amateur CSI competition. But this time, he entered the stadium for a different reason.

He reached Serie A — as a painter and decorator.

“It is a great satisfaction to see my name on the shirt of a Serie A team. I am not here because of sporting achievements; I am here thanks to my business,” Michael said.

For one day, the club did not promote a multinational corporation. It promoted a real person, a small business and a man who travelled from job to job in an old van. Michael Nino was not a celebrity, a millionaire or the owner of a large company. He was a local entrepreneur who was given an opportunity that almost nobody would have expected.

That was the strength of the campaign.

Dacia received an original and emotional story. Udinese gained significant public attention. And Michael gained an experience that could potentially transform his business — and perhaps make his phone ring more often from the following Monday.