Behind Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team's Tribute Campaign to Lewis Hamilton

As one of Formula 1’s most iconic partnerships draws to an emotional end with Lewis Hamilton set to depart from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team after 12 years, the car brands wanted to pay a fitting tribute to its champion driver.

The final race in the F1 calendar took place in Abu Dhabi on 8 December concluding the partnership as Hamilton moves on to join Ferrari next season after securing 84 victories and seven times World Driver’s Champion across his 12-season with Mercedes.

“This one is much more emotional because I’ve been with the team so long and we’ve been through so much together,” Hamilton explained when asked about this move compared to leaving McLaren in 2013.

Having won the Mercedes F1 account in September (the first time it has worked with a creative agency) AMV BBDO was immediately tasked with developing an appropriate send-off for Hamilton.

This would lead to the development of a global campaign titled “Every Dream Needs a Team.' It was led by a film featuring footage of Hamilton interwoven with clips from children of diverse ages and backgrounds outlining the impact the driver has had on their own aspirations.

Outdoor activations included photography from across the 12 years featuring Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team which featured in landmarks across Kuala Lumpur, the UK, and the US. It also ran over the weekend of the final race with Hamilton’s car carrying the campaign alongside the names of 150 fans.

Team Principal and chief executive Toto Wolff also recorded an open voice note for Hamilton, offering some words of advice while an open letter also captured Wolff’s thoughts. The voice note was distributed through WhatsApp for all to hear.

Sharing insights behind the development of the campaign, AMV BBDO’s executive creative director Laura Rogers and Bradley Lord, chief communications officer at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team answered some of Creative Salon’s questions.

What was the initial brief/challenge set to mark Lewis Hamilton’s career? Was it part of the initial pitch process or set out as the first to come along from the account? 

 Laura Rogers (LR): The true audience for this work was one person: Lewis Hamilton. Everyone else in the world was given a sneak peek into the incredible relationship that exists between everyone at Mercedes. They are as much a family as they are a high-performance sports team. And they wanted to say goodbye to Lewis in a way that showed him how much they love and value him. And full credit to team Mercedes because this was their brief to us. They knew that emotion was the key to making this moment memorable for Lewis and the world.

Where did the idea come from to look both to the past and future of the sport? And how was “Every Dream Needs a Team” devised? 

LR: We set out to create something that sits apart from the traditional clip reels and racing footage that dominate the sport. Instead of speed and thrills, this campaign is inspired by feelings. We had to go straight to the heart. Each of the young people in the film was selected because they were passionate about Lewis Hamilton and felt that he’d made a difference to their lives and their sport. The out of home honoured the shared dream of Lewis and the wider Mercedes team. On the car livery on the final race day, we featured fans’ names to show that everyone has been part of this journey. The voice note from Toto to Lewis provided a special window into the relationship between two people who care deeply about each other and support each other at all costs. All of this is born from Lewis’ own belief that incredible things only happen through incredible teamwork. 

 ‘Every dream needs a team’ was inspired by this philosophy and flies proudly in opposition to the perception that F1 is all about the drivers. Racing is a team sport. Lewis believed this deeply and this line honours his passion for the team.

What does it aim to say about both the driver and the partnership with Mercedes? 

LR: Lewis Hamilton’s story is special and so is the team that supported him all these years. At its heart, this is really about a family member being sent off into the world with love. That’s what we want everyone to see. And that’s the feeling we want Lewis to carry with him.  As he goes on his journey to Ferrari, Mercedes will always be his family. 

The campaign message extended to Lewis’ car alongside naming 150 fans - what did that convey to fans? 

Bradley Lord (BL): Our central campaign motto, “Every Dream Needs a Team”, reflects Lewis’ oft-repeated mantra that ‘we win and we lose together’. There is no success in F1 without an amazing team around you, from the driver to all the different roles in the organisation. That team includes our fans and giving 150 of them the chance to be a physical part of the final race weekend, was about showing that shared love and respect for Lewis – and giving the fans a chance to participate in our celebration of our time together. It was one of most popular activations ever. 

How involved was Hamilton, if at all, in the development process? 

BL: Not at all – and deliberately so. He knew “something” was happening but had no awareness until we surprised him on Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi. He thought he was being asked to do a sponsor appearance, and was a bit reluctant to do so, then came into the room and found it full of the team and only the team – which is when we showed him the main campaign film. It was a very moving moment between us all.

What does this first work indicate about this new partnership between Mercedes F1 and AMV BBDO? 

BL: It’s been a fantastic experience working with the team at AMV BBDO, who nailed our brief and have delivered a really impactful campaign. We’re excited to see what comes next!