How AI Brought Formula One Fans Closer to the Drivers and Team They Love.
GOLD WINNER
AI FOR BETTER MARKETING 2026
Shell V-Power
Submitted by Shell
CASE STUDY SUMMARY
In today’s marketing environment, personalization often focuses on products, offers, and transactions. Shell V-Power explored a different possibility: could artificial intelligence create a more emotional and memorable brand experience?
Building on Shell’s longstanding partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP, the “Feel Closer” initiative used AI to transform fan engagement into a personalized journey that connected consumers more directly with the team, its drivers, and the excitement of Formula One racing.
Rather than simply delivering content, the experience adapted to individual users, creating unique interactions that strengthened both participation and emotional connection. By combining AI-powered personalization with one of the world’s most recognizable sports partnerships, Shell turned a premium fuel proposition into a richer brand experience—one that brought fans closer to the passion, performance, and personalities behind the sport.
KEY INSIGHTS
• Personalization can deepen emotional engagement, not just improve targeting.
• AI can help transform sponsorships from passive associations into active experiences.
• Strong brand partnerships become more valuable when consumers can participate rather than simply observe.
• Emotional relevance remains a powerful driver of brand affinity and loyalty.
WHY AI WAS USED
The challenge was creating individualized experiences for large numbers of Formula One fans while maintaining relevance and authenticity.
AI enabled Shell to tailor content, interactions, and engagement pathways based on individual interests and behaviors. This allowed the brand to deliver experiences that felt personal and unique without sacrificing scale.
The technology helped transform a broad sponsorship platform into thousands of individualized moments of connection.
HOW AI WORKED WITH HUMAN INSIGHT
The emotional idea came first.
Human strategists recognized that Formula One fans increasingly want more than information—they want access, participation, and connection.
AI provided the ability to personalize those experiences, while creative teams ensured the interactions remained engaging, authentic, and aligned with both the Shell and Ferrari brands.
Together, technology and creativity transformed a sponsorship asset into a living customer experience.
WOULD THIS HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT AI?
Only on a much smaller scale.
Brands have long sought to create personalized fan experiences, but delivering unique interactions across large audiences traditionally required significant manual effort and limited customization.
AI made it possible to create individualized experiences for thousands of participants simultaneously, helping Shell combine scale with emotional relevance.
WHAT MARKETERS CAN LEARN
Many discussions about AI focus on efficiency, automation, and optimization.
Shell’s work offers a reminder that some of the most valuable applications of AI may be emotional rather than operational.
Technology can help brands better understand audiences, but it can also help create experiences that feel more personal, memorable, and meaningful.
As marketing becomes increasingly automated, the brands that stand out may be those that use AI not simply to improve performance, but to strengthen human connection.
CAMPAIGN CREDITS
Brand:
Shell V-Power
Submitted by:
Shell
Award:
Gold Winner
AI for Better Marketing 2026
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