Chandon Shows Speed In Activating McLaren F1 Alliance Via Unorthodox Vineyard Driver Race

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this activation is the speed at which it was planned, created and launched.

The official partnership announcement came on 7 March, ahead of the 2016 F1 season’s opening race – the Rolex Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Then the first film came out just weeks after the initial partnership deal was announced: a lightening quick turnaround in the world of sponsorship activation (perhaps demonstrating some synergy between the brand and the team).

Indeed, the press release accompanying the initial ad explained that the video featuring the drivers was only shot on the Wednesday 15^th (after the deal was penned), before being edited and rolled out on 18^th/19^th weekend.

In fact, the drivers themselves only actually appear in the opening/closing shots, while stand-ins wearing their familiar race helmets were used to shoot the rest of the film.

The new alliance continues a long established tactic of premium brands and luxury lifestyle companies sponsoring F1 – long perceived and positioned as a glamorous global sport.

Chandon describes itself as being ‘born out of the spirit of open-mindedness within a search for new horizons in Old World wine-making 60 years ago’, while, despote current performance troubles, McLaren is one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history.

The umbrella aim behind the tie-up is to link Chandon’s ‘sparkling attitude’ to the famous McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team in an ‘exciting celebration of innovation’.

‘We are thrilled to be partnering with such an innovative brand as McLaren Honda,’ said Chandon Marketing & Business Development Director Ashley Powell at the launch event.

‘Their advanced technology and progressive thinking is the perfect alignment for Chandon. We can’t wait to inject some extra spark into the Australian Grand Prix festivities. It’s our first race for the season and we are looking to Australia to set the standard high for other moments.’

‘Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda racing director added: ‘We have the best driver line-up in the sport. We have an engineering team that has been meticulously hand-picked, structured, guided and inspired; the blend of technical skill-sets and attitudinal mind-sets we now possess are fit-for-purpose and state-of-the-art. We’ve nurtured a hugely impressive roster of loyal and powerful partners, and we’re delighted to now be working with Chandon for a season of passion and innovation.’