Lap Of Legends

Objective

Michelob ULTRA sought to elevate the brand's presence within Formula 1 culture by creating a high-concept entertainment experience. Through its 'It's Only Worth It If You Enjoy It' platform, the brand aimed to remind the competitive F1 community of joy and celebration in motorsport, leveraging American driver Logan Sargeant's position as the first American F1 driver in nearly a decade.

Solution

A 15-lap television special where Logan Sargeant, driving a real Williams Racing car, competed against digitally rendered avatars of six F1 champions: Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, and Jenson Button. The virtual competitors were created using machine learning analysis of over 720 historical races and 1,260 hours of footage to authentically replicate each driver's technique, endurance, and tactical approach. Sargeant wore an AR-equipped helmet that displayed real-time race information while 28 strategically placed cameras (including helmet-mounted, car-mounted, drone, and fixed positions) captured the competition. Billed as the first real-vs.-virtual F1 race, the special was created by FCB New York with production by The Mill New York. The 10-minute broadcast premiered on May 14, 2024, across AMC, BBC America, and The Roku Channel in 28 countries, hosted by Jenson Button and Naomi Schiff.

Results

The campaign generated 300 million impressions with $5.5 million in media value. The project won 4 Graphite Pencils and 6 Wood Pencils at the 2025 D&AD Awards, entered across nine categories: Art Direction, Entertainment, Digital Experience Design, Experiential: Activation & Participation, Film, Media Luxury, Sound Design & Use of Music, Digital Marketing, and Gaming & Virtual Worlds.