In 2020, the sports marketing playbook was torn up almost overnight.
The Covid-19 pandemic meant rights holders were forced to rapidly reimagine how they engaged fans and generated revenue. Traditional methods were abandoned, new sponsorship categories emerged and brands saw an opportunity to gain a foothold – and perhaps nowhere more than in Formula One.
Though initially devastating, the pandemic inadvertently accelerated a commercial explosion in Formula One. Netflix’s Drive to Survive filled the entertainment void during lockdowns, attracting new fans worldwide. Formula One, which was among the first major sports to return to action while restrictions were still in place, capitalised on this surge in interest and embedded itself into mainstream culture.
That momentum made the series an obvious platform for fast-growing technology companies and non-endemic brands looking to engage with younger, global audiences. But innovation and creativity would be crucial to making an impact.
This wave of creative evolution inspired the launch of Impact X, a new annual initiative from SportsPro and SportQuake spotlighting the most impactful, creative and effective brand partnerships.
To explore the full project, which covers the wider sports marketing landscape, click here. Below, BlackBook Motorsport picks out five campaigns that made waves in the world of motorsport.
McLaren Racing and OKX’s tribute to a legend
OKX’s first steps into the space of one-off liveries were tentative, but the cryptocurrency exchange quickly found its feet by focusing on the rich history of McLaren.
With support from CAA Brand Consulting, OKX saw the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix as the perfect opportunity to pay homage to Ayrton Senna, an icon of both Formula One and McLaren.
A good tribute to the Brazilian will always resonate with Formula One fans and so it proved. Top Gear called it ‘the greatest one-off [livery] we’ve ever seen’, while The Race said it was a ‘bold and fitting salute’ to the three-time world champion .
More than a visual tribute, the campaign was a triumph for McLaren. Chief marketing officer Louise McEwen told Marketing Brew that it was the team’s “most successful marketing campaign ever”, generating more than 470 million impressions, more than 36 million engagements and almost 180 million video views.
The campaign had commercial intent too, aligning with OKX’s recent launch in Brazil. But instead of a bland announcement, the company opted to integrate itself within the sport. There was an emotional depth to this collaboration that resonated with fans while allowing the crypto exchange to promote itself in a natural and authentic way.
WhatsApp calls up Mercedes to boost brand appeal
WhatsApp entered Formula One with the clear goal of broadening its brand appeal, especially in the US where it has a much smaller market share compared to somewhere like Europe.
Grounding the partnership in how WhatsApp improves Mercedes’ communication is an easy marketing ploy, but the key was making this collaboration memorable for fans. So the Meta-owned platform turned its attention to the racing car emoji.
Usually red, the emoji was changed to replicate the black and emerald green colour scheme used by the Mercedes entry in the 2024 season. It was a simple and understated change, yet suddenly more than two billion monthly active WhatsApp users around the world were subtly exposed to the collaboration.
In July 2024, eight months after the partnership was unveiled, WhatsApp exceeded 100 million users in the US, a major milestone for the platform. Considering the Mercedes deal was WhatsApp’s first move into sports marketing, the tie-up clearly had a big impact on its expansion strategy.
F1 Academy’s glow up with Charlotte Tilbury
Beauty is perhaps the last brand category you would associate with motorsport, which is exactly why Charlotte Tilbury saw an opportunity. After all, breaking into the male-dominated industry is exactly what the drivers competing in F1 Academy are trying to do.
The storyline wrote itself and the beauty brand launched its first-ever global sports sponsorship by throwing its weight behind the relatively new F1 Academy series. According to a recent study by Nielsen Sports, 41 per cent of Formula One fans are now women, so the all-female academy series had huge potential.
However, while more women are following Formula One, female participation in the sport is still incredibly low.
Charlotte Tilbury knew it had the platform to help. Since coming on board, the brand has spotlighted the drivers competing in F1 Academy on its social channels and worked behind the scenes to dispel any scepticism that the partnership is merely about brand visibility.
Alongside driver content and social amplification, Charlotte Tilbury partnered with Motorsport UK to launch the Girls Karting Academy, which provides free karting sessions for girls aged eight to 12.
In addition, the company pledged that 100 per cent of sales from its Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray would fund 400 karting sessions. It also introduced the Charlotte Tilbury Scholarship, which will support one girl’s participation in the 2026 Club100 Karting Championship.
The collaboration will gain further momentum with the Netflix docuseries ‘F1: The Academy’, continuing the conversation around empowerment and inclusivity.
F1 and Heineken 0.0 say no to drink driving
Alongside its efforts to change consumer perceptions of low-alcohol and alcohol-free beer, Heineken chose to simultaneously challenge attitudes around drink driving.
Having committed to investing more than ten per cent of all media budgets to supporting responsible consumption programmes, its ‘When You Drive, Never Drink’ campaign became the focal point of its Formula One activations. The message was soon reinforced through global TV spots, on-track signage, digital assets, fan experiences, and specially branded packaging.
To date, Heineken’s partnership with Formula One has spanned various virtual and at-track activations, including fan entertainment zones, virtual reality experiences and performances from superstar DJs. During the pandemic, the brand also memorably created the ‘pit wall bar’, an at-home trackside experience featuring race telemetry, team headphones and Heineken 0.0 on tap.
More recently, Heineken 0.0 has become an official partner of Apple Original Films’ F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris – bringing a new dimension to the partnership that will be supported by a content campaign featuring the film’s leading actors.
Williams Racing and Kraken make F1 more accessible
An unintended consequence of Formula One’s boom in popularity has been the rising cost of attending races. As accessibility declines, Williams Racing and crypto exchange Kraken stepped in to bring the sport closer to fans and promote greater inclusivity.
To achieve this, Williams launched a series of free-to-attend fan zones, designed to engage supporters in new and meaningful ways. Kraken quickly backed the initiative, seeing it as a chance to connect directly with fans while promoting its digital collectibles and aligning with a positive experience.
Williams Racing typically hosts six fan zones per season, targeting specific races for maximum engagement. The strategy is built around the team, with authenticity at the heart of each activation.
Williams and Kraken underscored the success of their collaboration by extending and expanding their partnership for a third year.
The Race Media Awards also recognised the innovation behind the initiative, naming it ‘Best Live Experience’ and ‘Creative Content of the Year’. Judges praised the effort for the way it “removed barriers to make an experience that was truly accessible for all fans”.
In an era where most things come with a price tag, Williams and Kraken’s partnership stands out for offering free, authentic and high-quality content – helping to build fan loyalty while introducing audiences to the world of Web 3.0 and digital collectibles.
Produced by SportsPro in collaboration with SportQuake, Impact X is a new annual initiative spotlighting the most impactful, creative and effective partnerships in sport. Click here to find out more.
