E-commerce retail company THG – formerly The Hut Group – has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Williams Racing F1 team.
The “multi-dimensional agreement” involves several THG brands sponsoring different aspects of the team.
THG’s Myprotein, the online sports nutrition brand, becomes the Williams team’s Official Nutrition Partner and will supply products, guidance and knowhow to “maximise and enhance team performance”.
Ingenuity, THG’s end-to-end e-commerce offering for brands, becomes an Official Technology & E-commerce Partner and will “integrate its data-driven approach, proprietary software and technology to manage the global fulfilment of Williams Racing merchandise”.
THG Eco, the company’s sustainable solutions advisory arm, will be Official Sustainability Partner, to help the motorsport giant better measure its carbon emissions.
The partnership will run “throughout the remainder of the 2023 season and in years to come”, THG said.
MyProtein and Ingenuity branding will be present on the FW45 race cars and in the team environment, including on driver race suits and Williams Racing team kit.
“In a world where nutrition fuels performance, technology drives innovation and sustainable practices protect our environment, THG is perfectly positioned to bring our expertise to Formula 1 – the pinnacle of global motorsport,” said Matt Moulding, CEO of THG.
“This partnership represents a merging of expertise to drive THG and Williams Racing towards a future defined by innovation and sustainability.”
According to research by the National Motorsport Academy, 40% of F1 fans said a brand’s sponsorship had influenced a purchasing decision, with a similar proportion reporting the longer a brand sponsored an F1 team, the more likely they would buy a product/service from them. The sport was a favoured marketing opportunity of cigarette brands before advertising restrictions, and several major fmcg brands have sponsored teams and events since.
Heineken has been a sponsor of Formula 1 since 2016 and extended the partnership earlier this year. Estrella Galicia 0.0 currently sponsors the Ferrari team; British American Tobacco and Coca-Cola the McLaren Racing team, while Red Bull has had its own team, Red Bull Racing, since 2004.
“Williams Racing has always been known as a disruptor in the racing world,” said James Vowles, team principal of Williams Racing, “including championing new technologies and challenging the status quo through innovation. We have found an equally future-focused and ambitious partner in THG, a British data-driven tech group and brand builder on the global stage and we’re excited to take on this journey together.”
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