The most coveted brand partnerships are quickly becoming motorsport teams.
Italian luxury fashion label Palm Angels partnered with the Haas F1 Team to launch a collection in time for the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. Similarly, Pacsun continued its relationship with F1 by launching exclusive merchandise during the Miami race weekend. Other motorsport series have also capitalized on the popularity of its aesthetics. Just this February, Nascar signed a deal with hat and apparel brand '47.
The motorsport boom has taken off with American motorsport series such as F1, IndyCar, and Nascar producing their own Netflix documentary series following the lives and quests of drivers for victory. These new motorsports-themed apparel lines are more than just fan gear. Rather, many of these new lines lean toward the exclusivity of the sport, catering to fans who want to show off their participation, as participation in F1 events has become a marker of status. T-shirts from the Palm Angels line start at $654.
“Sports is a place where communities are built…and as communities are built, a unified aesthetic begins to emerge from those communities,” said Brian Quarles, chief creative officer at sports marketing agency Revolution. “I think that’s where brands and sports can really focus their efforts because it’s fertile ground.”
Quarles said it's not unusual for sports to inspire fashion. Skateboarding inspired the emergence of several streetwear brands such as Supreme and Vans. Qualls added that apparel brands are leaning into uniform aesthetics derived from motorsports, such as rugged leather jackets, team logos and checkered flags.
In some cases, fans may be drawn to these items to commemorate races they attended. “It’s a reference to being there, because [for] A lot of these things, you have to go out there to get it,” Quarles said. “Those associations speak volumes about who you are as a person and explain your interests.”
With three F1 races taking place in the United States: Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, apparel brands are especially keen to launch limited edition products during this time of year. In the lead-up to the Miami Grand Prix, Palm Angels debuted its first product series in collaboration with the Haas F1 Team, the only American team on the grid. The brand has unveiled his Miami T-shirt, one of his 13 collectible T-shirts dedicated to F1's popular race. A special edition racing jacket was also released on race day.
Pacsun also launched its own F1 merchandise collection during the race weekend in Miami. Over the weekend, the brand set up a pop-up truck at Miami's Smorgasburg Market to showcase its latest apparel lineup, including T-shirts, jackets, bralettes, and shorts. During last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix, PacSun also did a pop-up activation to promote its Las Vegas-themed collection.
“F1 is selling very well compared to other brands in our store and is one of our best-selling projects this year,” said Richard Cox, Pacsun's vice president of men's merchandising and design. He spoke to Modern Retail about this. “We also see a steady increase in sales at the launch of each collection.”
Dan Robling, senior vice president at Stretch PR, a global PR firm specializing in business and sports, says sports like F1 are particularly attractive to brands because of their international visibility. Masu.
“If you want to expand and grow globally, this is a great platform to do that,” Robling said. “They are very passionate fans of the sport and also support sponsoring their favorite teams and favorite drivers.”
Watching any race live can be expensive, with grandstand ticket prices starting at $600 for the Miami Grand Prix. Robling said motorsports fans are a group that is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on limited-edition, high-end products.
Other motorsports like Nascar are also attracting new fans thanks to the recently released Netflix documentary series Full Speed. Nielsen data found that 88% of viewers in the show's first week didn't watch last fall's championship race, suggesting it could gain new fans.
NASCAR and '47's partnership includes headwear and apparel for various teams and NASCAR-owned tracks such as Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Darlington Raceway. The selection includes a trucker hat, a hoodie with the NASCAR logo, and a distressed T-shirt with the driver's number.
Robling said he sees the potential for more brands to be involved in motorsports in some way. Already, partnerships are forming between emerging brands and teams. Back in November, Hough's skateboarding brand partnered with Toyota Racing Development and he released 40 different items, including double-knee pants, work jackets, racing jackets, and sweaters.
“We think there is an opportunity for both apparel and lifestyle brands to grow with sports,” Robling said.
