How Brands Use Performance, Culture and Creativity.
Motor racing, Formula One and automotive culture occupy a unique space in global marketing. They combine elite performance, technical innovation, heritage, and deep emotional passion, all of which make them highly attractive to brands looking to build credibility and long‑term value.
At MN2S, we work with brands across automotive, technology, lifestyle, and beyond to identify the right type of talent for their objectives. Sometimes that means partnering with Formula One legends. Other times, it means collaborating with creators who live and breathe car culture, or storytellers who can translate innovation into entertainment.
Why Brands Work With Motor Racing & Formula One Talent
Motor racing talent brings a level of credibility that few other sectors can match. Formula One drivers, champions and industry figures operate in environments defined by extreme pressure, marginal gains and constant innovation. Their success is measurable, their expertise is earned, and their reputations are built over years not overnight.
For brands, this translates into powerful associations. Partnering with motorsport talent allows brands to align with performance, precision, resilience and technical excellence. This is particularly effective for automotive brands, energy companies, technology businesses and performance‑driven services.
Formula One also offers global reach with premium positioning. With an international calendar and a highly engaged fanbase, F1 delivers worldwide exposure without sacrificing prestige. Motorsport audiences tend to be brand‑aware, loyal and affluent, making them highly valuable from a marketing perspective.
Using Motorsport Heritage to Build Authority: Damon Hill × Gulf Oil × Williams Formula 1 Driving Academy
Some brands benefit most from deep motorsport heritage. A strong example is Gulf Oil’s partnership with Formula One World Champion Damon Hill, arranged by MN2S.
As a former F1 World Champion and respected broadcaster, Damon Hill brings instant authority. His involvement in Gulf Oil’s campaign, created in collaboration with the Williams Formula 1 Driving Academy, reinforced the brand’s long‑standing relationship with elite motorsport and high‑performance engineering.
Rather than focusing on overt product promotion, the campaign centered on storytelling, highlighting the development of future racing talent, technical excellence, and the dedication required to succeed at the highest level. For Gulf Oil, working with a motorsport legend helped connect past success with future ambition, adding depth and trust to its brand message.
Tapping Into Automotive Culture and Community :TJ Hunt × Bring a Trailer
While motorsport figures deliver unquestionable credibility, automotive brands are increasingly broadening their approach. Today’s car buyers and enthusiasts don’t just engage with racing; they engage with culture, community, and content. Digital creators, automotive personalities and storytellers allow brands to connect with audiences who may not follow Formula One closely but still care deeply about cars, design and innovation. These partnerships help brands humanise their products, reach younger demographics and create content that performs naturally on social platforms.
Rather than replacing motorsport partnerships, non‑racing talent often complements them, helping brands cover different touchpoints across the customer journey.
In a campaign facilitated by MN2S, automotive creator TJ Hunt partnered with Bring a Trailer to celebrate the emotional side of car ownership.
TJ Hunt has built a loyal following by documenting his genuine passion for cars from modifications and builds to the stories behind each vehicle. This made him a natural fit for Bring a Trailer, a platform that thrives on enthusiast culture and community engagement.
The campaign focused on the idea that “it’s never just a car”. Through authentic, creator‑led content, the partnership connected Bring a Trailer with a younger, digitally native audience and reinforced its positioning as a destination for people who truly care about automotive history and passion, not just transactions.
Creative Storytelling at Global Scale: Toyota × Zach King
In some cases, the priority isn’t motorsport credibility or community engagement it’s storytelling at scale. MN2S facilitated a collaboration between Toyota and global digital creator Zach King to support the launch of Toyota’s all‑electric bZ4X.
Zach King is known for cinematic, visually inventive content that reaches hundreds of millions of followers worldwide. By working with him, Toyota was able to showcase the bZ4X’s features through entertainment rather than traditional advertising.
The result was content that felt native to social platforms, achieved global reach, and positioned Toyota as forward‑thinking, creative and culturally relevant all while still highlighting innovation and performance.
How MN2S Approaches Talent Partnerships
At MN2S, successful partnerships start with strategy. We focus on alignment rather than exposure alone, considering factors such as brand values, audience overlap, communication style and long‑term storytelling potential.
Whether a brand works with a Formula One World Champion, an automotive culture creator or a global digital storyteller, our role is to ensure the collaboration feels authentic, delivers measurable impact and protects brand integrity.
Working with motor racing and automotive‑adjacent talent gives brands access to passion, performance and powerful storytelling. From legends like Damon Hill, to creators embedded in car culture like TJ Hunt, to global entertainers like Zach King, each type of talent serves a different strategic purpose.
The most effective automotive campaigns understand this balance. By choosing the right talent for the right objective, and by structuring partnerships strategically, brands can create marketing that resonates far beyond the racetrack.
With experience across motorsport, automotive culture and digital media, MN2S helps brands unlock the full potential of these partnerships on track, online and everywhere in between.