Every weekend, somewhere on the planet, a Ford is racing. NASCAR ovals, Dakar deserts, Le Mans straights, F1 circuits. Ford races to win. That “Go Like Hell” spirit isn’t just heritage. It’s how Ford pushes technology to the extreme so innovations born at 200mph end up in the vehicle in your driveway.
In 2026, Ford returned to F1 after 22 years, partnering with Red Bull Racing at the dawn of the sport’s most significant regulation change in a generation. A 50/50 hybrid power split, tripled electric output, advanced sustainable fuels. Tech that maps directly to the future of Ford’s road cars. This wasn’t sponsorship. This was Ford putting its engineering on the line at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Our challenge: make the world feel it. Turn 125 years of heritage and a historic F1 return into something that got hearts racing. From the die-hard fan who’d waited decades, to the newcomer discovering Ford Racing for the first time, to the employee who needed to feel pride in what their company was about to do.
The complexity was real. Two brand governance structures (Ford and Red Bull Racing) with strict approval processes and embargoes. Multiple audiences needing distinct experiences. A venue in Detroit that would need to deliver in the dead of winter. We designed two connected events, a Ford Racing Season Launch and a Ford x Red Bull Season Launch, each built for specific audiences. The spirit behind both: Go Like Hell.
We built the campaign around three strategic pillars: Heritage meets Innovation, Global Scale with Local Authenticity, and Immersive Entertainment. Detroit became our primary stage, leveraging the iconic Michigan Central Station as a symbol of American industrial legacy reimagined for the future - a perfect metaphor for Ford Racing's journey.
The campaign unfolded as a carefully orchestrated series of high-impact moments designed to build momentum and maintain constant audience engagement.
We kicked off on day one with a Detroit Auto Show takeover, hosting a media reveal of the off-road performance-tuned Bronco RTR. This immediately established Ford Racing's production vehicle credentials and generated early buzz.
Then we took over Michigan Central Station for a crown jewel racing experience: a massive joint Season Launch event hosted by Dax Shepard. We transformed the historic building's facade with stunning large-scale architectural projections that visualised Ford's racing future, creating an unforgettable backdrop for the evening's reveals. Red Bull trick riders added high-octane energy, while carefully timed reveal moments built anticipation throughout the night.
The launch also served as the coming-out party for the Mustang Dark Horse SC - Ford Racing's first-ever production vehicle. Surrounded by custom merchandise pop-ups and continuous surprise-and-delight moments, the event transformed a traditional product debut into an immersive lifestyle experience.
To drive cultural transformation internally, we organised dedicated watch parties for the Global Employee Connection initiative. These events spanned 10 locations across 8 countries, ensuring Ford's global workforce wasn't just watching history but that they were actually a part of it, fostering unprecedented pride and connection to the F1 return.
Our strategy prioritised a digital-first approach, ensuring that every physical element was optimised for maximum social shareability. We broadened accessibility to a global audience by livestreaming the main event. Furthermore, the spectacular projections at Michigan Central offered visually stunning content that dominated social feeds.
Unlike traditional automotive launches that focus solely on vehicles, we created an entertainment-first experience that happened to feature cars. By treating the launch as a cultural event rather than a corporate announcement, we broke through the noise in both automotive and sports entertainment spaces, creating a blueprint for how heritage brands can authentically enter new competitive arenas.
The numbers tell one story. The energy behind them tells a bigger one.
133 million combined social views across Ford Racing and Red Bull platforms. Not impressions. Views. People chose to watch.
11.5 million livestream views, the highest-reaching Ford Racing stream in three years and a 577% increase on Red Bull’s previous season launch (1.7 million views). For context: F1’s own official 2025 season launch, F1 75 Live at London’s O2 Arena, with all ten teams, 20 drivers, and global music acts, drew 7.5 million social views. A single team partnership launch outperformed the entire sport’s flagship event.
$222,000+ in merchandise sales, breaking all previous Ford Racing records. Merch wasn’t the objective. It was proof that fans weren’t passively watching. They were investing in being part of this.
10 global watch party locations across 8 countries connected Ford’s workforce to this moment in real time, transforming a launch event into a source of genuine pride across the organisation.
Jay Ward, Global Director of Ford Racing Communications: “Our Ford Racing Season Launch for 2026 was by far our most ambitious program ever in our 125-year history... the event achieved record results in terms of media and social coverage.”
We set out to make people feel Ford Racing’s return to the pinnacle of motorsport. From invested fans to first-time viewers, from Detroit to 8 countries worldwide, from the showroom floor to the F1 grid. The results proved they felt it.
