Motorsport Week learnt first-hand from Kate Dalton, Head of Brand and Marketing at the Aston Martin Formula 1 team how it’s putting fans first with its continuing I / AM membership scheme this holiday season.
When Aston Martin set about its 21st-century F1 adventure in 2021, it created I / AM – a free-to-join membership scheme that gives the team’s fans a platform to share and the ability to enjoy benefits and lifetime experiences.
Aston Martin I / AM Unwrapped
One such benefit is I / AM Unwrapped: 12 days, 12 unique prizes exclusive to members that kicked off on December 12 and will run through Christmas Eve. Prizes already dished out to lucky winners include a signed Fernando Alonso replica helmet, an AMR24 brake pad and an AMR22 sidepod.
2024 was a difficult year for Aston Martin with its performances on track below its lofty expectations – yielding just 94 points and zero podiums. Dalton tells Motorsport Week that I / AM Unwrapped was an incentive to give back to Aston Martin’s fans for sticking by them through a tumultuous campaign.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT I / AM UNWRAPPED
“The I / AM Unwrapped initiative was designed to celebrate our fans and express our gratitude for their unwavering support throughout the 2024 season,” Dalton explained. “As the season concludes, we wanted to acknowledge that we see and hear our fans—and what better way to thank them than by giving back? This initiative offers fans the chance to win incredible prizes, such as signed replica helmets, race suits, and unforgettable experiences—items and opportunities that are rare and special. The campaign is our way of showing appreciation for the dedication that drives us forward. The season might be over, but the fandom doesn’t stop. With the I / AM Unwrapped campaign, we’re keeping the energy alive celebrating our fans with exclusive prizes and unforgettable moments that bring them closer to the team.”
The creation of I / AM
Three years ago, the creation of I / AM was driven by “the mission to connect with and involve our fanbase.”
Dalton explains how I/ AM “Serves as the central marketing platform for our brand and fan membership program. The platform was born from the insight that fans crave deeper involvement with the teams they love. I / AM is an experience-driven program, fostering inclusion and co-creation. It offers an open invitation to everyone connected with our team to join the journey at all levels of participation. It empowers fans to express themselves, showcase their creativity, and invest emotionally in our shared story.
“The name I / AM is a symbol of inclusion and co-creation: “I” represents the individual—anyone—and “AM” represents Aston Martin. Together, I / AM is a universal statement: I / AM is you, us, and together we create something special in the sport. It’s a shared language and a declaration of identity, allowing every fan to be part of something greater.”
Dalton’s words speak to F1 in the Liberty Media era, one which has strived to give fans as much access as possible through digital and social as the on-track product becomes more exclusive and expensive to attend.
Three years on from its creation, Dalton references how I / AM has been able to create an accessible place for fans within the wider exclusivity of the sport.
“Formula 1 has often felt exclusive, but through I / AM, we’ve made it our mission to bring fans closer – whether at the racetrack or beyond,” Dalton said. “This inclusivity has not only strengthened our connection with fans but also solidified their role in our journey.”
Building Aston Martin F1 as a brand
Aston Martin taking over the spot on the F1 grid in 2021 brought a renowned automotive brand steeped in history to a sport that it had only had a brief dalliance with half a century ago. As a car maker, Aston was well-known, this was James Bond’s car after all, but what did the brand mean in F1? Getting that right was not only essential for I / AM, but nailing Aston Martin’s entire message to its fans and the wider F1 scene.
“As a team, we’ve essentially had to build a brand from scratch – but off the back of one of the most iconic, aspirational British brands in Aston Martin,” Dalton said. “We have a role to play to bring such an aspirational brand – that can sometimes feel inaccessible – to the broader audience. Our fans are incredibly important to us as a team, and we have focused on doing things differently to engage and grow our fanbase – we started with the smallest [fanbase] of any team, and now we have the fifth largest. It isn’t because we’ve won a World Championship, yet, but from having the right brand coupled with the right strategy.
“It’s about treating your fans in the right way, bringing them on the journey, and giving them access they wouldn’t get elsewhere. We pride ourselves on delivering once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our fans, both trackside and at AMRTC, providing exclusive access behind the scenes of F1.
“We’ve seen the impact of deeper fan engagement, particularly with our partnership with TikTok. We believe modern F1 fans want to be seen, heard and involved, and the sport is so much richer for bringing fans in to co-create our story.”
When it comes to TikTok, Aston Martin continues to build its community and is enjoying success. 2.2 million followers are now being celebrated with an initiative called the ‘Creator Collective’ in partnership with the platform itself. The ‘Creator Collective’ is on the hunt for five lucky people to contribute to Aston Martin’s content story.
This is all part of a team developing a successful ecosystem away from the circuit and that has helped achieve some astonishing commercial results. While on-track things haven’t gone Aston Martin’s way in 2024, the last quarter saw a flurry of commercial partners from Puma to Xerox, Memento Exclusives and Glenfiddich. Dalton explained how important a role brand has played in building Aston Martin’s portfolio.
“We have had more activity commercially this year and going into next year than we’ve ever had as a team,” Dalton explained. “Fundamentally, the expectations and requirements of partners have become more sophisticated. Partnerships in Formula One are now more than just a logo on the car – everything is monitored on ROI per dollar. It’s now become important that partnerships are authentic too, and it’s vital to integrate authentic storytelling through the relationship – and marketing and social have a huge role to play here. As a team we can bring to life the unique stories from our commercial partners, strategically and creatively.
“A great example of this is our recent partnership with Glenfiddich, which was announced at the Vegas GP. In addition to media support, we created beautiful content used in out-of-home (OOH) advertising and across social, supported a unique event in the desert and curated a bespoke luxury dinner at the AMRTC.”
The future of Aston Martin and I / AM
As Aston Martin continues to develop, a story well written in recent times given the technical pieces being put in place at the brand-new Silverstone facility. Adrian Newey is coming on board, as is Honda and Team Owner Lawrence Stroll is putting all his chips down to make Aston Martin a success on track. Dalton writes that as the team builds, I / AM and its members will continue to develop in tandem.
“I / AM will remain central to our fan engagement efforts as we continuously enhance how we connect with and serve our community,” Dalton explained. “Looking ahead, we are committed to evolving the I / AM membership into a seamless and enriching experience. Our goal is to engage more Aston Martin Aramco F1 fans by simplifying their connection to the team and unlocking greater opportunities—bringing them closer to the action, no matter where they are. We aim to provide fans with something exciting to anticipate while actively listening to their unique preferences and desires. Ultimately, we’re dedicated to elevating the Aston Martin Aramco F1 fan experience for everyone.”
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