FIA Formula E took centre stage in this week’s episode of the BBC business competition, The Apprentice.
In the show’s usual style, the remaining candidates were divided into two teams, and both were tasked by Lord Sugar to create their own Formula E teams, each having their own unique name, colour scheme, business and branding strategy. The episode featured cameo appearances from reigning Drivers’ Champion Jake Dennis, and Jaguar Team Principal, James Barclay.
Led by project manager Tre Lowe, the Nexus team produced an ocean theme, featuring varying shades of blue to represent the ocean, whilst team Supream, led by Virdi Singh Mazari, opted for a green and orange forestry theme, both in keeping to the series’ sustainability credentials.
It was Nexus who came out on top, securing £38.7 million in sponsorship offers, with Supream only able to secure £21.5 million. However, both amounts easily broke the programme’s previous record of £1.2 million. The episode was also live-posted on X by the official Formula E account.
Whilst some of the contestants’ debatably questionable decisions and lack of actual feature of the series as a brand may have objectively given an impression that lacked substance, there’s no question that, given that the show aired at 9pm on the BBC, Formula E has been given exposure to a whole new audience, carrying the hope that a whole new set of fans may tune-in when the series arrives in Sao Paulo in two weeks’ time.
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