Formula E partners with Prophet on rebrand

Cristina Blanaru Branding, Marketing

Global brand and marketing consultancy Prophet announced the completion of a rebranding effort for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the electric street racing series.

Formula E engaged Prophet to creatively reframe the series, developing a more relevant and distinctive proposition and visual identity to help widen the sport’s fan base and distance this progressive world player in the electric revolution from traditional motor racing.

“The answer was to stop trying to compete with Formula 1 and move the goal posts completely,” said Greg Handrick, Partner at Prophet. “By conducting extensive primary research, and specifically talking to fans, we honed-in on the single big idea that will make Formula E distinct and famous: electric street racing. If you think about it, this takes a perceived shortcoming – the lack of noise and lower speeds – and turns it into a differentiator: being able to race in the heart of a city! It’s bold, innovative, and highlights boundary-pushing electric performance in a way that connects better emotionally with mainstream and younger audiences who are attracted by this new, gritty form of motorsport and digital interactivity of the race.”

Prophet translated the spirit of the evolution of Formula E and street racing in the heart of the city into a more contemporary and disruptive visual identity. Inspired by the rawness of urban city environments, design elements are layered and juxtaposed to fuse interruption and energy with unpredictability and boldness. A powerful system for the brand that captures the drama and personality of this nail-biting sport and one that sets it apart as distinctively Formula E.

“The insight from the global research we conducted with Prophet was invaluable in focusing on what makes Formula E relevant to a millennial audience. This led to the building blocks of our new identity which has enabled the electric street racing series to capture the next generation of race fans,” added Ben Padley, Marketing & Brand Director at Formula E.

 The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the electric street racing series and the world’s first fully-electric international single-seater category in motorsport. Formula E brings electrifying wheel-to-wheel action to some of the world’s leading cities, racing against the backdrop of iconic skylines such as New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Rome.

The inaugural season of Formula E sparked into life in September 2014 around the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing. The fourth edition of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will see 10 teams and 20 drivers compete in 10 cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned champion. Hong Kong hosted the season-opener over the course of two days on December 2 & 3, with the championship coming to a close in July.

Prophet is a consultancy that helps clients find better ways to grow by focusing on three important areas: creating relevant brand and customer experiences, driving accelerated growth strategies and leveraging digital as a transformative force in their business. We operate differently than other consultancies, blending insight, strategy and creativity with an optimistic yet pragmatic approach. We have partnered with some of the world’s most successful companies, including Electrolux, T-Mobile, UBS and GE. With ten global offices and more than 350 experts in marketing, innovation, digital and design, we are able to bring together the right people with the right experience to solve our clients’ business challenges.