Italy's leading beer export has had a busy year, with owner SABMiller celebrating new market launches in Monte Carlo and Tokyo . In the UK, Peroni became the first official beer brand partner at London Fashion Week and the new Emporio Peroni open ed in Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre .

In September a collaboration with Vogue Italia created a global retrospective photographic exhibition celebrating 50 years of Italian style. Launching at On/Off in agreement with the Royal Academy of Arts in London, it will continue until April 2008 before travelling on to New York and Milan. Back in Italy, Peroni was the official beer of the Rome Film Festival in October.

But the big news came in November, with the announcement of a new US$50 million global brand campaign - Calendario - shot as a short film set in the 60s in Bellagio, a small town in the stylish Lake Como area.

SABMiller's ongoing investment in Peroni Nastro Azzurro since its initial relaunch in 2005 is bearing fruit, with international sales excluding Italy up by 69 per cent MAT to September 2007.