Sky Creative Takes Formula 1 on a Las Vegas Rollercoaster for New Season Launch

With engines revving for the start of the Formula 1 season in March and the elite sport heading to Las Vegas for the first time this season, Sky Creative have released an ambitious new campaign based on a fantasy rollercoaster in the Nevada desert.

Adopting 'The Strip’s' signature neon glow to capture the excitement and action, the dramatic commercial sees this season’s main protagonists in an epic three horse race around a looping track and features a guest appearance from Sky Sports F1 presenter, Martin Brundle, as well as cameos from Toto Wolff and Christian Horner.

“With Formula 1 being so full of ups, downs, twists and turns, what better visual metaphor than a rollercoaster?” says Rob Welch, creative director at Sky Creative, Sky’s in-house agency.

It was a concept that instantly sparked excitement among the Sky Creative team before thoughts turned to the daunting task of transforming a motor racing metaphor into a spectacular teaser for the season ahead.

To bring the ‘Enjoy the Ride’ idea to life, Sky Creative turned to Bafta, Oscar and Cannes Lions award-winning creative studio, Framestore, and director William Bartlett.

“As a huge F1 fan, I was so excited to showcase the upcoming season and create something instantly memorable in CG with our sensational crew of VFX artists led by Matthew Thomas,” says William.

“This really couldn’t have happened in any other way and there were many technical challenges to overcome to make the race look as dramatic and authentic as it does.

“Working with the team at Sky Creative has been absolutely brilliant and we were so excited to be able to turn their rollercoaster idea into the best possible version of itself. Together we’ve created a really striking visual piece - and we can’t wait to see F1 fans’ reaction to it.”

‘Enjoy the Ride’ is one of Sky’s biggest campaigns of the year and will be screened during primetime Sky Sports coverage, such as Premier League football matches, and commercial TV, as well as across social media, websites, newspapers and magazines. Dramatic billboards and other out-of-home formats will appear at landmark locations in major cities from the end of February. 

The campaign will also run in Italy and Ireland with Sky Creative producing bespoke executions for those markets.

“This concept really brought the thrill seeker out in all of us,” says Ben Case, director of premiums at Sky.

“It’s been brilliant watching it all come together, and I think this campaign will really get viewers’ adrenaline pumping in anticipation of the new F1 season.”