by After reaching its third year, the Miami Grand Prix has finally found a race to win the checkered flag. Since its inception, the first US race on the calendar has continued to look for ways to build on its initial hype. And alongside these improvements for Formula 1 fans and drivers/teams, fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands have only invested more to attend and activate the Grand Prix.
According to ESPN, ABC’s coverage of Sunday’s race on May 5 was the highest ever for live US television for F1 – an average of 3.1 million people watched McLaren’s Lando Norris – beating out the Three-time Red Bull’s World Driving Championship. Max Verstappen – winning his first Formula 1 race.
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This year’s audience reached an average of 2.6 million viewers for the first race in 2022 and increased by 48 percent compared to last year. And in person, more than 275,000 people attended over the three-day weekend event.
No one has seen the rapidly accelerating momentum of Tom Garfinkel, managing partner of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. Garfinkel also serves as vice chairman, president and chief executive officer of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.
“We are proud of our growth and have seen it increase in the number of brands choosing the Miami Grand Prix as an event where they want to activate or launch new products,” Garfinkel told WWD. “Ferrari unveiled its blue livery and livery to commemorate 70 years of the manufacturer’s presence in North America and the Tag Heuer collaboration with Kith launched from its stores in Miami on race weekend. Miami has established itself as a custodian of culture and it’s great to see that throughout the Miami International Autodrome, as well as the city, during the Miami Grand Prix.”
One of the newest brands in the lifestyle space to join the Formula 1 hype is Liquid IV, the electrolyte drink mix owned by Unilver. The California-based company partnered with the Miami Grand Prix on a multi-year collaboration as the race’s hydration partner and marked the company’s first foray into the world of Formula 1 and motorsport.
“Formula 1 is a great partnership for us to explore because it operates at the intersection of sports, entertainment, hospitality,” Stacey Andrade-Wells, vice president of marketing at Liquid IV, told WWD at the race. “It’s so ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist right now and has a huge global footprint. There is so much passion and energy in the fans.”
Andrade-Wells noted that this is the first time Grand Prix Miami has partnered with a hydration partner and saw the white space as an opportunity to do something meaningful that stays true to the Liquid IV pill and its consumer use. .
“A partnership like this means so much to us because the impact is so high, and the engagement is so high,” Andrade-Wells said. “It puts us at the forefront of culture. It allows us to enter the sports and racing space in a more official capacity.”
While the Grand Prix was a major focal point with its Liquid Race House IV and general admission section, the brand looked to other areas to gather brand awareness. Liquid IV did a full city takeover with billboards, gave out samples inside and outside the Paddock Club and general admission areas, partnered with Hope Hydration to create hydration stations to allow consumers to refill their water and did their first marketing in the field with Liquid. Cyber-brand IV trucks drove around the city to hand out samples.
The Formula 1 Red Carpet: Synergy Continues With Fashion
To name a few fashion brands that have taken the opportunity to tap into the younger demographic of Formula 1 fans and their star-studded attendees, Brunello Cucinelli, Tommy Hilfiger, Palm Angels, Hugo Boss and many others have chosen to strategically activate them at or around. race weekend.
Ferrari chief brand officer Carla Liuni, who previously worked in executive roles at Pandora and Bulgari, was on hand in Miami to unveil its Miami Grand Prix capsule collection and celebrate the brand’s 70 years in the US.
“Formula 1 is the next red carpet,” Liuni told WWD at the Faena Hotel, which Ferrari took over for the race weekend and the brand’s festival. “We didn’t see this coming so quickly. It is now relevant to everyone, but especially younger women. It’s a place you want to be seen, it’s become cool. Ferrari has always been a culturally relevant brand in movies and music. Today the world is quite fluid. There is no separation between the world of sport and fashion.”
Certainly, Ferrari is set to become even more culturally relevant when the sport’s biggest fashion advocate and biggest name, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, joins the team next year.
Around the city during the race weekend, experiences and events have become a mainstay for companies that want to give their consumers unforgettable moments.
Carbone Beach was heavily attended by the likes of Travis Kelce and race winner Lando Norris after the win with American Express, Formula 1’s payment partners, during its four-day run.
“Carbon is one of the most requested reservations by our card members, so it’s a natural partnership to bring this fan-favorite event to Miami during race week,” said Bess Spaeth, senior vice president on US premium products and membership rewards at American Express. . “American Express Presents Carbone Beach, now in its third year, is a one-of-a-kind experience that our card members love.”
Chase Sapphire provided memorable experiences for its card members, such as a garage tour – usually reserved for Paddock Club guests and dignitaries – and a Chase Sapphire lounge for all cardholders at the race.
“We want members to see our Chase Sapphire Reserve card as the key to unlocking more and having an elevated experience when they attend events and cultural moments like the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix,” said Tara Bakhle, head of marketing at Chase Sapphire. “This was our second year at race week in Miami, so it was important that we continue to evolve our approach and offerings to keep our card members excited and engaged.”
One notable change this year was the introduction of the F1 Academy — an all-female single-seater racing championship coinciding with the Formula 1 World Championship calendar. Miami was the only race held in the United States for this year’s championship – a testament to how quickly the Miami race managed to put itself on the map just three years later.
Garfinkel credits Susie Wolff’s work as managing director of the F1 Academy as an ongoing way for the sport to attract more fans – especially women who see themselves more represented in the sport and who are interested in being women. become Formula 1 drivers one day.
With the continued rise of the sport’s intersection with pop culture, entertainment and fashion, the Formula 1 red carpet will only continue to resonate with younger and female demographics – the key drivers in shaping global economic growth, moments and cultural trends – continue to be interested.
“The growth of Formula 1 has been significant over the last several years,” said Garfinkel. “We feel that we have a responsibility to promote the growth of sports in America and to new and diverse audiences. Our guests represent the best of sports, business, fashion, music and entertainment. Our goal is to bring people together across the landscape of industry and culture – and in doing so, we believe that only furthers the growth of Formula 1 in Miami and the US.”
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