Major Australian netball sponsor San Remo pasta is growing its support for the international game across the Tasman.
The leading pasta brand has appointed netball star Camilla Lees (Millie) as the new face of San Remo in New Zealand.
Millie is a squad member of New Zealand’s national netball team, the Silver Ferns, as well as a player for the Wellington-based Central Pulse team.
She joins Australian Netball Diamond Julie Corletto, who is San Remo’s netball brand ambassador in Australia.
Julie has appeared in San Remo advertising campaigns and highlights the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendations to eat four to five serves of grain based foods, such as pasta, every day.
Millie will have a similar role as San Remo brand ambassador in New Zealand.
She will appear in television and print advertising, attend San Remo events and act as an official spokesperson for the company.
She will also reinforce the connection between healthy food choices and an active lifestyle.
Millie’s appointment follows San Remo’s renewed and expanded sponsorship arrangement with Australasia’s premier netball league, the ANZ Championship.
San Remo is the official pasta and pasta sauce of the ANZ Championship as well as ball sponsor and ball kids sponsor at ANZ Championship games.
San Remo Head of Sales & Marketing, Michael Neale, said Millie’s appointment formed part of San Remo’s growing commitment to netball internationally.
“San Remo is a strong supporter of the netball community in Australia,” he said.
“We sponsor all levels of the game from the national league and ANZ Championship through to Netball Australia’s grassroots San Remo NetSetGO! child development program.
“San Remo is now extending its support of netball into New Zealand, where we saw an opportunity to replicate the success of our brand ambassador program.
“Millie brings together a number of features that make her an ideal choice for San Remo brand ambassador. She is an elite sports person who juggles conflicting demands to achieve her goals, which many of our customers will relate to.
“She is also a medical student who understands human nutrition through her studies as well as her sporting commitments. Millie also has a wonderful nature and some family stories that are a great fit with San Remo’s strong family-oriented brand.
“But most importantly, Millie loves San Remo pasta, which means she will speak from the heart to represent us well.”
Millie said she was looking forward to playing an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles as the new face of San Remo.
“I grew up on a farm in the country where we ate good quality food every day,” she said. “Mum often cooked pasta, and since San Remo has been involved with netball, I now recognise it as the same brand my mum used.
“Now that I’ve moved out of home to study medicine and play netball, I eat San Remo pasta all the time. I love pasta so it’s a real honour to be appointed San Remo brand ambassador.
“It’s also a great opportunity for me to encourage New Zealanders to eat well, stay active and live a healthy lifestyle.”
The San Remo Macaroni Company is Australia’s largest pasta manufacturer. The company exports pasta and other food products to 38 countries around the world.
