A few months ago, I suggested in of my articles that Formula One must work on their marketing and try to involve fans in the sport. Now, they have launched a brand new marketing campaign titled ‘Engineered Insanity’, which brings superfans to the heart of the sport and shows what Formula One is all about; hardcore racing, innovation and of course, the fans.
With other F1 SuperFans Moko and Josh
I was one of the six superfans chosen to represent the diverse fanbase of Formula One and all of us were invited to London to be a part of the campaign. There, we were given the opportunity to be a part of a specially constructed wind tunnel, with elements such as wind, water, dust and rubber splashed onto our faces in an attempt to replicate the heart stopping drama of a Formula One race.
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/soumilaroradotcomThis is Formula One’s first global campaign since its inception in 1950; ‘Engineered Insanity’ will act as a milestone to show their progress in changing their image; being more globalized and fan-oriented since the takeover of Liberty Media. The long term plan of changing the image and presenting a new global campaign for Formula One kicked off in Abu Dhabi last year, with Formula One’s new logo being presented during the post-race podium celebrations.
Formula 1 Logo: old and new
The hero film, which features six of Formula One’s biggest fans around the world including yours truly, portrays the essence of Formula One and tries to make the sport more interesting and relevant to the masses. This is done in an attempt to increase Formula One’s global reach with chaos and top-notch racing action playing a major role in the hero film. With this campaign, Formula One’s marketing department has tried to make the sport more pertinent to not only the followers of motorsports, but also to the enthusiasts of other sports.
Formula One’s Director Of Marketing Ellie Norman said, “We want to create a perceptible shift in how people perceive F1. This campaign switches the focus away from our own echo chamber, instead spotlighting why our fans love this sport. Our brief to Wieden+Kennedy London was to translate its raw, exhilarating thrill into something that will transcend its appeal across the entire spectrum of sports fans.”
“Last season, we made a promise to our fans to bring them closer and to reshape the sport into something that resembles what they want to see, the gladiatorial conflict at its heart. Nothing we came up with creatively delivered this better than seeing it through the eyes of our most passionate fans. Across the next year and beyond, we will be creating further fan-centred activities at the races, at fan festivals and across F1 social platforms. Watch this space. We are here to excite.”
This campaign will play a leading role in the resurgence of Formula One in the marketing perspective; the involvement of fans with the sport has increased greatly ever since Liberty Media took over and the commercial side of the sport is strengthening up by the day since the appointment of Sean Bratches as the Managing Director of Commercial Operations of Formula One. Liberty Media and F1 are evidently trying to reach out to the people and make this niche sport one for the masses and that impresses me a lot.
Sean Bratches, Chase Carey and Ross Brawn
Before the sport was taken over by Liberty Media in 2016, they did not put in much of an effort to increase their fanbase and so, the numbers were falling down, with less people taking interest in the sport but last year thanks to increased promotional and fan events, the number of fans attending races increased by quite a margin although the on-track action wasn’t particularly remarkable.
I feel that Formula One must remain on the same path in terms of their commercial activities and continue to adopt a millennial way of promoting the sport. In terms of the on-track action, Ross Brawn (Managing Director, Motor Sports) and his department have to do something special.
What’s next for Formula One? Only time will tell.
External Link: www.formula1.com
Images / Video Credits: Formula 1
You might also like
