An F1 team came up with a genius way to sell more ads in prime spots and it could change sports
- The McLaren F1 team has added a new digital ad panel to their car that can change during races.
- While digital ad boards are not new in sports, where McLaren is using them is novel.
A Formula One team has found a new way to use digital advertising technology, and one location could change the future of sports.
For the 2023 season, McLaren has come up with a new way to get their 40-plus sponsors more airtime in prime locations. They have added a digital advertising panel to their cars that can rotate ads while on the track.
You can see the location in the photo above. But while that might not be the best spot from the outside view, the genius of the location becomes apparent when the always popular on-board camera view is shown.
Here it is in action during practice for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, which will take place Sunday.
While not as clear, the ad is also visible at times with the helmet cam.
This type of advertising is already seen in other sports, such as the backstop in Major League Baseball and the boards in the NHL, but F1 is taking it a step further by putting the ads on the stars of the show.
But wait, if you hate the advertising on uniforms that has infiltrated other sports in recent years, it gets worse.
McLaren will also soon add digital advertising panels to their drivers' helmets.
We have already seen helmet ads become the norm in the NHL, and they will be coming to MLB eventually.
If the digital helmet ads prove popular with advertisers, it is easy to imagine them coming to other sports eventually.
At the end of the day, money talks, and it doesn't matter if fans love or hate them.