With its nomination at the Bologna Licensing Awards, Mare Fuori confirms itself as the brand that helps engage other brands. Already a winner last year of the “Best Young Adult Licensing Project” award, will it make it two in a row this year?
Mare Fuori continues to be a cult series for millions of viewers and is also attracting the interest of many commercial brands. Co-produced by Rai Fiction and Picomedia (a Fremantle Group company), the show is part of the licensing portfolio managed by Rai Com, which has successfully handled it for years—thanks also to the collaboration with Rai Pubblicità. The market has now clearly recognized the potential of this cult series, which speaks to young people and their families: various Product Placement initiatives, Licensing activities, and all kinds of Merchandising have emerged. From t-shirts to potato chips, puzzles to Easter eggs, lighters, pens, CDs, sticker albums—even a postage-valid stamp. Brands like OVS, MSC, Marlù, Bauli, Bic, Giochi Preziosi, and Solferino: many have bet on the series, with a wide range of commercial adaptations. In 2024, thanks to a rich licensing rollout developed over the year—spanning multiple brands and product categories—Mare Fuori won the “Best Young Adult Licensing Project” at the Bologna Licensing Awards. This year, Mare Fuori is once again nominated in the same category, but with a specific project: the integration of the Lavazza brand into the series through a true Plot Placement operation, bringing coffee into the IPM (Juvenile Penitentiary Institute) of Naples. The storyline introduces barista training through a real workshop designed by Lavazza’s Training Center, where the show’s characters have the opportunity to learn the profession. This initiative is supported by licensing efforts that include custom-produced commercials using footage from the series, as well as branded merchandise. The winners in the various award categories will be announced on March 31 during the official ceremony at the Licensing Conference Room. This marks the first time an Italian TV production has not only been successful on screen but also broken so strongly into the world of consumer products. More than just a series, it’s a true phenomenon impacting the entire cultural industry—complete with nationwide meet & greets, a stage musical now in its second year, and a book series. But it doesn’t stop there. Brands want a piece of Mare Fuori too—to embrace its values and connect with the hardest audience to win over: young people, the show’s core target, known for their high standards and ever-changing tastes.
PRESS RELEASE
Rai Com
March 28, 2025 (N. 72)