The Challenge:

The Cadillac Formula 1 Team was entering the sport as the 11th team on the grid, backed by TWG Global and General Motors.

Starting from a clean sheet of paper, the team was being built entirely from the ground up. While engineers and technical teams worked against the clock to design, build, and prepare a car for the 2026 season, the organization also needed to build something equally critical for a new entrant into the sport: fandom.

The strategic challenge was to bring together three powerful brands—TWG Global, General Motors, and Cadillac— and translate them into a distinct Formula 1 team identity that could stand out in a crowded global sport while establishing a new playbook for what a modern F1 team could be.

Just as importantly, the team needed to build brand preference before a single lap had been raced, connecting with a new generation of fans discovering F1 through culture, entertainment, and storytelling.

The Solution:

Working in partnership with TWG Lab, Stone Owl helped define and activate the strategic foundations of the brand.

This included:

Brand Positioning: Defined a clear identity for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team by synthesizing the DNA of TWG Global, GM, and Cadillac into a compelling brand platform for their team.
Brand World Creation: Provided strategic framing and guidance for the creation of a culturally driven brand world designed to extend beyond the track and into entertainment, design, technology, and modern luxury.
Next-Gen Audience Strategy: Positioned the team to connect with the “Netflix generation” of fans who experience Formula 1 through culture, content, and lifestyle.
Fandom-First Content Strategy: Developed an omnichannel storytelling approach to activate the brand world, designed to grow fandom through social media, partnerships, entertainment, and long-form content.
Activation Strategy: Created the strategic framing for key cultural moments and storytelling platforms, including major announcements, the docu-series with Keanu Reeves, and an upcoming celebrity-led YouTube content series.
Brand Preference Measurement: Designed and implemented a comprehensive Brand Preference measurement framework and reporting dashboard, delivering weekly insights to the Cadillac Formula 1 Team leadership and marketing teams to track fandom growth, identify opportunities, and inform key marketing activation decisions.

The Results:

Within the first six months of the team being announced for the 2026 grid, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team had the fastest-growing fan base of any Formula 1 team.

0 → 3,000,000 social followers
0 → 25,000+ CRM subscribers
98% positive sentiment score

The driver announcement alone generated:

100M impressions
7.7M engagements
$3.4M in social media value

And all of this was accomplished six months before the team even had a car on the grid.

The momentum has continued with brand preference growth trending positive as expressed through fandom. Social following has surpassed 5 million, and the CRM database has grown to over 50,000 subscribers.

Stone Owl builds Brand Preference

CADILLAC FORUMLA 1