Racing Meets Fashion At Singapore GP

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

ICYMI: This week, Robinhood became the first company to sponsor three NBA teams with jersey patches at once, adding the Miami Heat to a portfolio that already includes the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.

One HUGE detail in the Sportico story caught my eye.

Referring to the Grizzlies, Michael Goodbody, Robinhood’s VP of Marketing and Communications, said: “Pound for pound, they have some of the most impressive social reach in the league, and that’s a key component of any deal.”

I really hope the Grizzlies' content team got the memo! Knowing your hard work helped the organization sell its biggest sponsorship asset is both motivating and rewarding.

Digital content and marketing are crucial in sports partnerships—this is a prime example of why investing in this space matters.

Plus, it's a major resume boost for the team and something worth highlighting during promotion and raise discussions.

In Today’s Edition:

• The VCARB Canadian Tuxedo 👖

• Mercedes Drivers’ Outfit Swap 🏎️

• LFC’s Emotional Fan Moment 😢

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
Visa Cash App RB’s Denim Driven Victory

Fashion has been a major player in Formula One partnerships lately, but two teams really upped the game at last week’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Visa Cash App RB F1 Team and HUGO Boss unveiled F1’s first fashion-inspired livery in over 30 years, with a denim-heavy design that stood out.

What made this campaign so impactful wasn’t just the eye-catching look of the VCARB cars—it was how seamlessly they incorporated denim into every aspect, from copy to creative, and from the track to the garage.

The content from Singapore felt authentic because they didn’t force it. Instead, they tailored their usual content to match the HUGO livery.

The campaign worked thanks to consistent branding, sharp visuals, and clever copy.

Consistent Branding

From the moment VCARB landed in Singapore, their denim theme was impossible to miss.

It was all denim, no brakes.

Both drivers and crew rocked denim outfits—shirts, pants, jackets. Denim and jeans-themed songs took over their user-generated garage playlist, and the team rolled out denim-inspired graphics across their feed and stories.

The livery tease was led by a jeans-style brand patch, which appeared everywhere—from the car’s front wing to multiple graphics, and even throughout the garage.

Seams and zippers added subtle details that reinforced the theme. VCARB’s race day hype video kicked off with an unzipping animation, while seams added texture to the graphics.

Great Visuals

This collab brought out the big guns with a triple threat of CGI for the livery launch. First, there was this clever tease pulling the new VCARB out of a jeans back pocket, followed by a crane delivery, and some donuts in the reveal phase.

But VCARB didn’t stop there. The team covered all bases, giving fans every possible angle of the new design—both from a polished shoot and on-site.

• Produced Shoot: Reveal Video | Reveal Part Two | Quali Day

• On Site: First Sighting in Singapore | Practice Day Details | Race Day

Clever Copy

The team didn’t just rely on visuals to drive the denim theme—their pun-filled captions did a lot of the heavy lifting too.

Here were some of my favorites:

• Livery Tease: Not everything is as it seams this weekend 👀

• CGI Tease: We’ve got something in our pocket for race week in Singapore 🏁👖

• On Site Reveal: Fit check👖even better irl 😮‍💨

• Driver Selfie: The VCARB family looking 🔥 Must be in the jeans

• On Track Photos: Bringing casual Fridays to F1👖😍

Even when HUGO wasn’t tagged, this punny caption strategy kept the brand top of mind—and it must have been a blast for the content team!

Campaign Extension

The checkered flag on Sunday didn’t signal the end of this campaign.

I checked the Meta Ad Library and saw that HUGO was boosting sponsored content from race week, turning high-res images into dark posts to drive users to their website for details on the next collaboration.

By Monday, the brand had announced the release of the new HUGO x RB capsule collection—featuring "street-ready styles and laid-back sporty essentials," modeled by VCARB drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda.

The Takeaway

This creative partnership successfully blended fashion with motorsport in an authentic, engaging way.

By leaning into a creative theme and integrating it across all touchpoints—visuals, copy, and content strategy—VCARB elevated the campaign beyond just aesthetics. That cohesive storytelling, when done right, leaves a lasting impact and extends well beyond the event itself.

💼 CASE STUDY
Sponsored Content of the Week

Mercedes F1 team also pulled off a major fashion sponcon win last week, but in their case, it was with just one piece of content.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were challenged to style each other in Tommy Hilfiger clothing. Each driver picked an outfit for the other, and in the end, they modeled their looks.

The video was a hit, thanks to the hilarious contrast in their fashion choices. The results? Over 14.3M views, 1.08M engagements, and an impressive 7.6% engagement rate (as of 9/23/24).

• Instagram: 10.6M Views - 704,163 Eng - 6.6% ER

• TikTok: 1.4M Views - 321,179 Eng - 22.9% ER

• X: 1.4M Views - 21,449 Eng - 1.5% ER

• Facebook: 840K Views - 23,977 Eng - 2.9% ER

• YouTube Shorts: 102K Views - 14,212 Eng - 13.9% ER

(Quick note: The original video was 3:03, but a one-minute version was used on X and YouTube Shorts.)

The numbers tell us it worked, but also, check out the comments! Without us having access to the analytics, the number of people pulling their favorite quotes from the video shows (e.g. “Wrong Direction”) that it likely had a strong average view duration.

The winning factor in activating this concept was the smart use of branding.

Tommy Hilfiger products were featured throughout the video, with the logo naturally visible. The brand was tagged in the post, and that was it. No extra logos, no voice-over mentions (or in the text on screen), no forced messaging, and no intro or end card.

They didn’t overdo it. And that restraint paid off.

A lot of teams might have pushed for more branding, but adding extra elements would have hurt the performance. By keeping it simple, they found the perfect balance between fan entertainment and product integration.

Plus, the drivers—who fans came to see—got to just be themselves. No talking points, just fun. Their personalities shone through, making the video even more engaging.

This approach is a great framework for fashion partnerships that include player deals, especially when players with different styles are involved.

P.S. An awesome next step? Make the final outfits shoppable, like in the VCARB x HUGO collab. Or feature them the looks as costumes for a Halloween social post. Imagine going to a party as George Russell, dressed by Lewis Hamilton.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

I’m a big fan of MotoGP’s Motul Tech Rundown series. It breaks down the technical side of the sport and in some videos, it seamlessly integrates Motul’s high-performance lubricants and engine products.

Dear Liverpool FC, presented by Nivea Men, pulled in 17.4M views on Instagram with an emotional story featuring Curtis Jones visiting a fan with Williams syndrome for a special day at Anfield. The duo shared another special moment after Saturday’s win against Bournemouth.

Apple TV+ teamed up with US Olympic medalist and pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik for a clever collab promoting their original series, Slow Horses.

Inter Miami CF and Duracell are offering fans a shot at a one-day contract by winning an online EA Sports FC 25 tournament. Finalists will be flown to Chase Stadium for a best-of-three series.

Is it just me, or are these kick competitions all over Instagram? Throw in a branded ball, a backdrop, and the right name, and you’ve got a perfect framework for sponsorship. It’s like the soccer version of the New York Knicks’ Money Ball series (see Sponsored Content of the Week).

Merch collabs aren’t just for fashion. Atlanta United FC launched the first-ever custom retail collaboration between a pro sports team and MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority).

This Belleglo Wines x San Diego Padres partnership announcement makes me wonder—would a player use gear that looks like it’s dipped in red wax?

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Sports Ball: Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, gave a shoutout on his account to @_sportsball, and I’m so glad he did! If you have data and analytics-focused brand partners (e.g. AWS), I’d definitely contact Riley Martin for a content series collaboration.

Micro-Luxe Playbook: Dominyck Bullard breaks down how micro-luxe is revolutionizing sports marketing.

Reddit Ads Inspiration Library: You need to check out the new Reddit Ads Inspiration Library. It may just be my new go-to resource for partnership research and inspiration.

YouTube For TV: One thing that stood out to me from YouTube's Made On presentation last week is that creators will soon be able to organize content into seasons and episodes. Rights holders should consider how fans are watching on larger screens, especially with creator revenue on TV screens up over 30% year over year.

Must Listen: On The Inches podcast, Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD, share their go-to learning resources for staying on top of client and sponsor needs.

Taylor Swift Effect: Sportico Sports Business Reporter Jacob Feldman explains why we might have gotten the Taylor Swift Effect all wrong and shares the real key learning we need to take away from this cultural moment.

U-G-See: Here's a cool idea for user-generated content: The New York Jets rolled out a Bud Light-branded dune buggy outside MetLife Stadium before kickoff, with former wide receiver Wayne Chrebet handing out shirts and beers to fans.

Always Open: The Ja’Marr Chase x 7-Eleven partnership is no one-hit wonder. Now in year two, 7-Eleven dropped a fresh line that merges Ja'Marr’s love for sports and fashion [h/t Alex Crawford]. Here’s the origin story, courtesy of Jordan Rogers.

Scorigami: The NBA launched a new X account, @NBA_Scorigami dedicated to tracking new scoring combinations in NBA history, regular season, and playoffs.