Nominees for the Business Partnership of the Year Award

The Autosport Awards are prizes awarded each year by the motorsport magazine Autosport to drivers and various industry players whose season has been marked by significant achievements. Some of the prizes are awarded by the general public following a reader survey.

The Commercial Partnership of the Year award recognizes a brand that has made very effective use of a platform in motorsport to convey its message and bring added value to the team, driver or championship in which it operates. joined forces.

The activation put in place by the sponsor who wins the prize will have shone in its creativity, scope and execution. The winner will be announced at the Autosport Awards to be held in London on January 29.

Here are the four brands shortlisted for this award.

Michelob Ultra x Williams Racing

In today's world of multimedia and social media, most partnerships include video content. But Michelob and Williams broke new ground by designing a nearly hour-long special called Lap of Legends, a program that uses cutting-edge AI techniques and machine learning to imagine the clash between today's racers. today and F1 world champions who previously raced for the Williams team.

Logan Sargeant, then a Williams driver, raced for 12 laps at Silverstone against Alain Prost, Jenson Button, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, Damon Hill and Mario Andretti. This event generated 4.5 billion impressions, with 19 million viewers watching the live broadcast.

The jury welcomed a “excellent use of artificial intelligence” and a “strong bond” with the product, also appreciating the efforts invested and the involvement in the project.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% x Scuderia Ferrari

In January, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% became a partner of Scuderia Ferrari, with a desire to make this new agreement stand out from the rest.

The activation set up was designed as a “Super Bowl-esque” moment timed before the kickoff of the 2024 Formula 1 season in order to fill the void created by the lack of racing for Ferrari fans, c that is to say the fans.

Known for the passion invested in its support, Peroni chose to innovate by rebranding 2024 bottles displaying themselves as “Tifosi Nastro Azzurro 0.0%”. These were produced and presented through video content inspired by heist films and featuring Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz as well as the team's director, Fred Vasseur.

The result? An audience of 2.1 billion people and record commercial benefits for Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, with more than 20 million views of this film.

This partnership was selected after impressing the judges with the way in which it was “exploited Ferrari’s talent” and having shown himself “creative, ambitious and effective in sales”.

Saudia x Newcastle United

Saudia used two of its best-known partnerships as part of a two-sport promotional program dubbed “The Secret Driver.”

The adventure featured the GEN3 of Formula E as well as three footballers from Newcastle United in the Premier League. They were cheered on by 100 of their loyal supporters, while the car passed through emblematic places in the city.

This content was broadcast live in 18 countries, in English and Arabic, and posted on the social networks of Saudia, Formula E and Newcastle United.

The Secret Driver achieved 24 million impressions and 15 million views, significantly increasing Saudi Arabia's visibility on the international stage.

The panel highlighted a “very creative brand film” and the presentation “effective” of a complex story.

Visa Cash App x VCARB

During the Miami Grand Prix, Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 team used a special livery based on Cash App's Chameleon Visa card.

This chameleon car was revealed in real time thanks to VCARB Wash activation, which is inspired by American car washes. The activation lasted throughout the Grand Prix weekend, offering exclusive benefits to Visa Cash App cardholders, including personalized t-shirts, car wash gift sets, jewelry and a cocktail bar .

Photo by: Visa Cash App x VCARB

Partner activations also took place throughout the weekend trackside, with special edition merchandise offered to fans by Hugo, Tudor and Piquadro.

As a result of this activation, Visa Cash App gained 43,000 new followers on social media and achieved 1.3 billion impressions.

In evaluating Visa Cash App, the judges noted that this project had been “beautifully executed” and that it had made excellent use of activations in such a popular market.