Brand respositioning by Hulsbosch branding agency coincides with the sport's plans to allow new types of vehicles into the racing competition from 2017
The V8 Supercars sporting event has launched a new brand identity aimed at widening the appeal of the championships as it looks to bring more brands and car manufacturers into the competition.
The branding work was undertaken by branding and design agency, Hulsbosch, and coincides with the sport’s 2017 Gen2 Strategy, which will see vehicles with new engine configurations and body shapes being eligible to participate in the sporting event for the first time. The 2017 blueprint, which was launched earlier this week, means current V8 Supercars could be joined by turbo-charged six- and four-cylinder cars from 2017, potentially bringing a younger base of fans into the sport.
The new branding also comes as V8 Supercars commences a new six-year media agreement with Fox Sports and Network Ten from 2015.
According to the Hulsbosch team, the new brand identity reflects the V8 Supercars business growth strategy and is about not only cutting through as a populist brand, but expanding its appeal to future fans. It will be integrated into all corporate and marketing collateral, events, digital, sub brands and special programs such as V8 Supercars Dunlop Series, from 1 January.
“The time is right for a striking and dominant identity as we head to the next phase for the sport, on and off the track,” V8 Supercars CEO, James Warburton, said.
“V8 Supercars is dynamic, aggressive and intensely competitive. The sport needs an identity that represents these characteristics on a global stage.”
The branding was devised after consumer testing through research groups nationally, as well as an online survey and stakeholder interviews to better understand the sport’s wider focus and strategy.
Hulsbosch executive creative director, Hans Hulsbosch, said research showed key attributes to reflect with the new branding were extreme energy, teamwork, respect, relentlessly progressive, and passion.
Red was chosen as a way of highlighting the “fast and furious speed” of V8 races, he said.
“The ‘SC’ moniker is a simplified identification and will generate a genuine presence as a standalone icon for the sport, developed as an enduring brand to stand the test of time,” Hulsbosch said.
Read more about brand strategy and design in Hans Hulsbosch’s blogs for CMO here
Follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO Australia conversation on LinkedIn: CMO Australia, join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMOAustralia, or check us out on Google+: google.com/+CmoAu
In the third and final episode of our 3-part CMO50 video series exploring modern marketing and why it’s become a matter of trust, we’re delighted to be joined by Telstra’s former CMO and now digital services and sales executive, Jeremy Nicholas, and Adobe VP Marketing Asia-Pacific and Japan, Duncan Egan.
Flash back to the classic film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Television-obsessed Mike insists on becoming the first person to be ‘sent by Wonkavision’, dematerialising on one end, pixel by pixel, and materialising in another space. His cinematic dreams are realised thanks to rash decisions as he is shrunken down to fit the digital universe, followed by a trip to the taffy puller to return to normal size.
Why is it there is no shortage of leadership development materials, yet outstanding leadership is so rare? Despite having access to so many leadership principles, tools, systems and processes, why is it so hard to develop and improve as a leader?
As a nation united by sport, brands are beginning to learn money alone won’t talk without aligned values and action. If recent events with major leagues and their players have shown us anything, it’s the next generation of athletes are standing by what they believe in – and they won’t let their values be superseded by money.
