Challenge
VELO wanted to bring its newly created "Love the Unexpected" brand positioning to life in a way that felt authentic to Formula 1 and meaningful to McLaren fans around the world.

Insight
Fans don't just want to watch the action. They want to be part of it. The closer they feel to the team, the stronger their loyalty becomes.

Big Idea
Turn VELO into LOVE and transform a McLaren Formula 1 car into a moving tribute to the fans who make the sport what it is.

Execution
Building on the "Love the Unexpected" platform, we created a special race livery that rearranged the letters of VELO to spell LOVE across the McLaren car. Hidden within the word were the names of thousands of fans from around the world.

Supporters were invited to submit their name and a message of encouragement through social channels for the chance to have it printed on a McLaren Formula 1 car during a live Grand Prix.

The result was an unexpected twist on traditional sponsorship branding. Instead of putting the spotlight on the brand, we used the brand to put the spotlight on the fans, creating a powerful emotional connection between McLaren and its global community.

Results
More than 500k fan submissions were received within the first 48 hours, with entries arriving from every corner of the globe. The campaign transformed a race livery into a global fan celebration, giving supporters the opportunity to see their name carried on a McLaren Formula 1 car during a live Grand Prix. Their messages travelled on one of the world's biggest sporting stages, with Formula 1 attracting an average global audience of around 75 million viewers per race.