The challenge

At the start of the 2007 F1 season McLaren had a new car, two new drivers and a new title sponsor.

Vodafone wanted to make the most of its place at the front of the grid and highlight the intricacies of building a successful Formula 1 team.

The aim was to create a global platform highlighting Vodafone’s new link with the team, whilst also creating a deeper connection with the viewer than is possible in a simple 30-second ad.

The TV solution

The 2007 season was possibly the most exciting ever in F1 history and McLaren and its drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, were right at the heart of the story.

Vodafone created ‘Chasing the Dream’, an hour-long documentary. This one-off programme made the most of the unique access available to Vodafone whilst also incorporating the brand ideal of ‘Make the Most of Now’ by showing the challenge of getting a new car and its drivers to the starting grid.

The telecoms brand featured in the programme as the new sponsor and the show was distributed as a package with sponsorship bumpers and a set of supporting branded online tools.

The show was initially broadcast in the UK, making its debut on ITV 1 in March 2007. It was then transmitted a further three times across the ITV network.

‘Chasing the Dream’ was also broadcast in a further 20 countries around the world on both terrestrial and satellite TV stations during the 2007 racing season.

Further edits were created including a 30-minute show for airline entertainment, which was broadcast by 17 airlines. Exclusive content was also placed on broadcaster websites such as ITV.com, the Vodafone Live! Portal – delivering added value to subscribers – and digital TV platforms such as Joost.

Results

‘Chasing the Dream’ had a major impact on perceptions of Vodafone and consumer awareness of its involvement with F1.

In the UK favourability among viewers towards Vodafone increased substantially and research shows that viewers were subsequently more likely to consider the brand for their next upgrade than non-viewers.
Sponsorship association among avid motorsports fans also increased over non-viewers.

Vodafone’s brand positioning was also communicated by the show with the majority of viewers grasping the underlying message of “chase your dream” and understanding the importance of “making the most of the moment.”

"Chasing the Dream’ allowed us to demonstrate the power of brand-funded TV versus traditional methods of engagement. With Vodafone’s unprecedented access to a Formula 1 team we were able to bring all the action, highs and lows, together in one innovative television documentary. This meant we could offer viewers a rare glimpse into the secretive world of a prestigious sport and truly engage audiences with the brand’s ideal ‘Make the Most of Now."

Greg James,
Head of Branded Content at, Cake