Gulf x Williams Racing win Brand of the Year at The Race Media Awards

Gulf Oil International Ltd. and Williams Racing are celebrating another prestigious award for their iconic 2023 brand partnership which put the look of the Williams Formula 1 car into fans’ hands.

The Gulf x Williams Livery Campaign – which saw fans pick the dynamic ‘Bolder than Bold’ livery used at three Grands Prix last year – was named Brand of the Year at The Race Media awards yesterday.

It is the second award for the ground-breaking project, which was also crowned Brand Partnership of the Year in December at the 36th edition of the Autosport Awards.

The Race Media Awards ceremony was held in London, celebrating the achievements of media and marketing across all categories of two and four-wheel motorsports.

The Brand of the Year award recognised campaigns that have maximised impact and influence, pushing the brand forward and bringing innovative ideas to motorsport.

The voting panel highlighted the fan engagement element which formed the foundations of the Gulf x Williams project, allowing fans to vote for the livery that adorned the FW45 during the Singapore, Japan, and Qatar Grands Prix.

In line with Gulf and Williams’ commitment to give fans unrivalled access to Formula 1, votes opened in May 2023, running multiple rounds which saw ‘Bolder than Bold’ crowned victorious after 180,000 votes from supporters worldwide.

The orange-on-blue design honoured Gulf’s legacy in motorsport and brought a fresh twist to represent a modern era for the two brands.

“We’re proud to see the partnership between Gulf and Williams Racing recognised for Brand of the Year at The Race Media Awards,” James Bower, Williams Racing’s Commercial Director, commented after the awards.

“Not only did the project showcase these two iconic brands across three key markets, but it also engaged a global audience through digital and social activations.

“We look forward to building on this momentum with successful activations in partnership with Gulf in the future.”

The campaign triumphed at the independent The Race Media Awards after impressing a panel of expert judges from across the industry: Team GB Marketing Strategist Claudia Mestre, Spotify Entertainment CDO for EMEA Mags Zielinska-Banks, and Sky Sports F1 Reporter Ted Kravitz.

Sacha Davis, Vice President of Marketing at Gulf Oil International added: “We are delighted that our partnership campaign has been recognised by The Race Media Awards.

“We continue to champion Gulf’s rich heritage in motorsport while placing our fans at the heart of what we do. Without their support this would not have been possible.

“Thank you to Williams Racing, it has been great to be with them on this journey over the past year, and we are excited for the future.”