Introduction
When sporting icons return to the scene after a lengthy absence, it doesn’t matter whether they’re human or automotive, it still needs a good creative eye and a firm strategic hand to help them retain their credibility in the modern sporting marketplace.
When motorsport legends Mercedes and Michael Schumacher returned after 55 years and 3 years respectively, it marked a major event in Formula One. Having successfully launched the Brawn GP range for Henri Lloyd, we were again commissioned to create an integrated branding campaign for their official Mercedes GP merchandise collection.
Strategy
Our strategic solution took its cues from Mercedes’ iconic ‘Silver Arrows’ teams of the 1950s (the last time that Mercedes owned an F1 team). The Silver Arrows were (and to extent remain) the original icons in Formula One. We harnessed those glory years of Mercedes to reincarnate the Silver Arrows in the modern image of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg as our heroes.
The Campaign
Our creative campaign reflected this iconic positioning with impactful and dramatic photography that formed the centrepiece of an integrated campaign that took in point of sale, support literature and web activity.
We also created a pre-season viral video of the photoshoot to create global buzz and whet the appetite of fans. The video not only added value to the brand’s launch but gained thousands of hits online too.
Result
Whilst events on the track have been mixed, the campaign was universally well received and contributed to a very successful sponsorship project for Henri Lloyd. They remain one of the few Formula One sponsors to make money from their sponsorship.