After nine years, Ferrari F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were finally returning to Malaysia, reigniting the passion of thousands of local motorsport fans. But while excitement dominated social media, opportunities to get close to the drivers remained notoriously exclusive and limited.
As a Ferrari Innovation Partner, Shell saw an opportunity to take its role beyond powering performance on the track. We wanted to leverage our partnership, products, digital platforms and physical retail network to create more ways for Malaysians to experience the excitement firsthand.
The challenge was to transform a global motorsport sponsorship into a locally relevant fan experience, giving the fans a variety of avenues to get engaged and rewarded.
Solution:
Fuel the Fans took Shell beyond the race track and straight to the fans. Leveraging our Ferrari partnership, we created an integrated experience spanning social media, KOLs, user-generated content, exclusive access and on-ground activations.
SHELL'S SECRET ADVANTAGE: A social teaser invited fans to uncover Shell's secret. Those who guessed correctly received exclusive DMs revealing an upcoming contest. Sharing the news earned bonus entries, giving fans a head start while turning them into organic seeders.
FEEL IT ALL CONTEST: We turned our Ferrari partnership into exclusive rewards, offering meet-and-greets, paddock tours and grandstand tickets through a fuel-and-win contest amplified across KOLs, social media, the Shell App and on-ground channels.
FANDOM-FUELLED FABRIC: Thousands of fan messages were distilled into a batik-inspired print featuring Malaysia's national flower and crafted into bespoke racing jackets.
FORZA WEEKEND POP-UP: We transformed a Shell station in Sepang into a four-day motorsport destination. Immersive installations, racing simulators and reflex challenges brought the excitement to the public, while fans enjoyed a meet-andgreet and presented the jackets to Hamilton and Leclerc.
Together, these activations took Shell's Ferrari partnership beyond visibility, connecting digital excitement with real-world participation through motorsport, fashion and Malaysian heritage.