In a first for Formula 1, McLaren have announced a deal with Seamless Digital which will see it embed digital screens on its two Formula 1 cars throughout the remainder of the 2022 F1 season.
Starting at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, both MCL36 cars will have digital advertising screens embedded into the cockpit surround, which will allow it to “dynamically change branding” during a session or from race-to-race.
Teams are increasingly finding unique positions for sponsor logos, but with limited bodywork, there is a limit to how many sponsors a team can run. A digital screen could allow a team to run multiple different sponsors in the same area, increasing its marketing ability and providing additional income.
McLaren’s executive director of brand and marketing, Louise McEwan, recognises this and is excited to see how the partnership can evolve.
“We are pleased to work with Seamless Digital to debut one of the most exciting innovations in digital advertising technology,” she said.
“Being able to rotate different brands on our cars is a game-changer in this space and we are looking forward to seeing the impact this has on the wider industry.”
Mark Turner, founder and CEO of Seamless Digital, added: “We are delighted to be able to unveil this technology which represents the next step in the future of motorsport marketing. Being able to change branding in real-time on a Formula 1 car will give greater flexibility and value to teams and partners. Our technology enables more creative options for brands to communicate situationally relevant messages.
“We have found the perfect partner in McLaren who share our ambition for innovation and breaking convention as pioneers in the fields of technology. We believe this is just the beginning of flexible on car branding and motor racing assets. By ensuring the technology works on a Formula 1 car we have already cracked the toughest place to innovate and are set to disrupt advertising across F1, motorsport, golf, US sports and ultimately, wider more mainstream use.”
McLaren will work with one of its sponsors, Google, this weekend to showcase the technology before further developing it for the remainder of the season.
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