Press, drivers, fans, employees and dealers gather under one roof for the annual motorsports event
There’s a time and a place for static auto shows, but for its 2025 Season Launch event, Ford Performance went full-throttle on a decidedly experiential strategy to unite stakeholders under one roof, provide an insider look at its plans for the year and continue the transition from a motorsports business into a lifestyle brand. Across a two-part event hosted in Charlotte, NC, over the winter, the company leaned into a “show, don’t tell” mentality designed to captivate media members, racing teams, drivers, fans, dealers, employees and influencers, while setting the tone for 2025.
From a press perspective, the Ford Performance Season Launch is considered a tentpole event, so the first half of the day was dedicated to a curated media experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where an automotive playground awaited. Press members were treated to exclusive interview opportunities with drivers, teams and brand executives, as well as vehicle reveals and teasers, including the new NASCAR Mach-E Demonstrator. They were among the first to learn of the brand’s forthcoming entry into LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) racing.
Throughout the event, media members explored the brand’s strategy through the lens of four distinct categories: Mustang racing, off-road racing, EV demonstrators and Formula 1. The framework helped Ford Performance demonstrate its value in each area and showcase why it’s so invested in motorsports by literally placing attendees in the driver’s seat.
“We’re actually getting [press] either behind the wheel, or certainly in the passenger seat of a car, and having them experience something that, frankly, very few people get to ever do, and that makes the story that they then are able to tell on our behalf far richer,” says Jay Ward, director-global communications at Ford Performance. “Then, they can come and join the evening event, and they get to see the scale of what it is we do. They get to interact with consumers, dealers and drivers, and this continued sense of excitement about what Ford is doing is cemented in their minds by the time they finally go home.”
The second half of the Season Launch took the shape of a celebratory evening event that brought stakeholders together at The Revelry, a venue that once served as a Ford assembly plant. For superfans in attendance, it was the ultimate opportunity to rub shoulders with their heroes and participate in hands-on vehicle experiences. But Ford Performance also had its eye on motorsports “flirts,” which it identifies as casual fans drawn to the space via lifestyle interests, like gaming and fashion.
Accordingly, the company created a range of touchpoints designed to appeal to both groups. Attendees could engage in driver autograph sessions and meet-and-greets, play racing sims and games that tested their reaction times against pro drivers, buy exclusive merch from a Ford Performance capsule collection and listen to live interviews from Fan Behavior and Track Talk at the on-site podcast booth. The event wrapped with a performance by country singer Dylan Scott.
In addition to the IRL event, Ford Performance livestreamed portions of the Season Launch, as well as the podcast episodes, to ensure fans at home felt included. All told, the brand garnered a 4.5k engagement rate on-site, and drew more than 500,000 livestream views.
“We’re really proud of the standard that we’ve set,” says Jeannee Kirkaldy, global marketing manager at Ford Performance. “No matter what kind of event, big or small, we’re hosting, it’s a different sort of thought process in terms of creating an event experience and making it inclusive. It’s not just for owners, it’s not just for fans, it’s not just for dealers, it’s not just for media. It’s got so many different reaches, and we’re really trying to think like that for all of our events.” Agency: Imagination.
Cruise through the Season Launch:
Photos: Courtesy of Ford
