FCB New York

Brand: Michelob ULTRA

Year: 2024

Michelob ULTRA had to raise the bar for sports entertainment.

Michelob ULTRA has a history of merging sports and innovation to deliver on the brand’s point of view and offer unique experiences to fans everywhere, bringing joy to key sports moments in culture. Next on the list: disrupting Formula 1 with our new Williams Racing sponsorship.

The high stakes and intense competition of F1 puts overwhelming demand on its drivers to win. Through our brand platform “It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It,” we had to bring joy to the world’s highest-pressure sport.

We continued Michelob ULTRA’s tradition of tapping into sports entertainment by creating the first real vs. virtual race in Williams Racing history. 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.

Rather than make an ad to run alongside F1, we created the sporting event itself. Media networks pitched us to host our one-hour special, which aired live on primetime TV in 31 countries and made its own revenue with commercials from other brands. Our one-hour TV special generated added value media being picked up by BBC America, AMC, and Roku and earned a 3:1 ROI.