For its anniversary of 40 years of giving back to local communities, The Ritz-Carlton wanted to celebrate with something exciting, one-of-a-kind, and meaningful.
Seeing shared values across its Community Footprints program, its partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, and driver Lewis Hamilton, the brand worked with Condé Nast to create a moment that would bring each of these elements together. To capture a common mission and the appeal of its four-decade milestone, The Ritz-Carlton would showcase continuing work by Community Footprints at a school in Mexico City, and a special appearance by Lewis Hamilton.
The Community Footprints program is the main charitable initiative of The Ritz-Carlton, partnering with local groups and communities to bolster opportunity, education, and the environment around the world.
Since the start of his career, Lewis Hamilton has become one of the biggest and most accomplished names in sports, earning seven world championships racing with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
In addition to being one of the best drivers in history, Hamilton has spent time off the track helping young people, pursuing a commitment to help them access new opportunities and achieve their dreams. This passion made him a perfect fit to surprise students at the Gota de Leche School, a longtime partner of Community Footprints in Mexico City.
To capture the moment and make something unique, memorable, and exciting for digital and social media, The Ritz-Carlton paired with Condé Nast to create a documentary-style video of Hamilton’s appearance, featuring narration from Hamilton and school staff along with plenty of moments of fun and inspiration with students.
At the Gota de Leche School, Community Footprints had just completed a renovation of the school’s art room — redesigning, restocking, and equipping it with the latest technology. With this new space available for students to express their creativity and design their dreams, Hamilton made his visit during the week of the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Arriving alongside a new Mercedes sprinter van (a donation to the school), Hamilton made a surprise appearance in the all-new art room. Meeting with the students and their teacher, Hamilton highlighted the importance of supporting young people in their goals and aspirations. And, in a playful nod to his racing history, Hamilton finished the day with a race against the students, featuring radio-controlled cars they had decorated themselves.
The final video captured all of these moments, tying them together with The Ritz-Carlton’s milestone of 40 years of giving back, the power and importance of youth outreach, and the partnership between the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and The Ritz-Carlton.
To share Hamilton’s appearance in Mexico, our campaign included 3 parts:
Seeing Hamilton and The Ritz-Carlton on a mission to make the world a better place resonated with audiences. Assets run across Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team channels, Condé Nast channels and The Ritz-Carlton generated over 9 million views in just two weeks, with a total potential campaign reach of over 46 million. Additional highlights:
Inviting Lewis Hamilton to the Gota de Leche School proved to be the perfect way to celebrate 40 years of The Ritz-Carlton giving back. By combining the excitement of our partnership with Mercedes, the stardom and sincerity of a sports legend, and the brand’s work with communities, Community Footprints was able to achieve a higher profile and an all-new level of attention. Building on the success of this activation, Ritz-Carlton Community will continue to be an important content franchise for The Ritz-Carlton in 2024 and the future.
