Lap of Legends

FCB New York

Brand: Michelob ULTRA

Year: 2024

Michelob ULTRA had to raise the bar for sports entertainment.

The brand had always embodied celebration without sacrifice, bringing joy to key sports moments in culture. Next on the list: disrupting Formula 1 with our new Williams Racing sponsorship.

Continuing Michelob ULTRA’s tradition of bringing joy through its iconic brand platform, “It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It,” we set out to help drivers of the world’s highest-pressure sport remember to enjoy the ride.

With “Lap of Legends,” we created the first real vs. virtual race in F1 history in a one-hour special. We pitted real Williams driver Logan Sargeant, in his real Williams Racing car, on a real track, against AI avatars of racing legends including Nigel Mansell and Mario Andretti, with our first-of-its-kind AR-equipped racing helmet.

Media networks pitched us to host our special, which aired live on prime-time TV in 31 countries and generated its own revenue by running commercials from other brands. Our TV special generated over $10M in added media value, being picked up by BBC America, AMC, and Roku, and earned a 3:1 ROI.