For Chivas Regal and Scuderia Ferrari HP, “True Greatness Isn’t Achieved Alone”

Motorsport fans typically tune in to see their favourite drivers zooming around a track but it’s the team around them – the pit crew – who ensures that they perform at their best. With mere milliseconds standing between success and failure, the pit crew play an essential role in what the drivers can achieve. It’s with this in mind that Chivas Regal, with the help of Wieden+Kennedy London, is spotlighting and celebrating the pit crew’s essential contribution to every race in a new 'A Tribute to the Scuderia Ferrari HP Pit Crew' campaign, as part of the whisky brand’s ongoing partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP.

Unveiled at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the Chivas Regal Ferrari campaign's hero film, directed by Daniel Sannwald and produced by Somesuch, takes a left turn when it comes to the representation of the pit crew’s essential labour. Rather than documentary-style footage (there are no technical close ups while a clock is ticking here), the film reinterprets the action through movement in a choreographed dance while a spoken word poem delivered by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, written by George the Poet, narrates the images. This celebration is a reflection of Chivas Regal’s belief that success is built on teamwork.

“We wanted to disrupt the typical sports marketing playbook that focuses on individual stars,” says Chivas Regal’s global brand director, cultural comms and experiences, Oyin Akiniyi. The creative discussions all led to the idea “that behind every success story, there's a team making it possible.” By eschewing the expected, Oyin says it pushed the team to “find something more authentic.” 

“From the start, we wanted to challenge the typical sports marketing playbook, the one that puts individual stars front and centre. We saw an opportunity to do something more meaningful. By spotlighting the pit crew, we’re showing that we understand what truly drives excellence,” she adds.

The choreographed film brings an artistic interpretation to the pit crew’s work, taking the metaphor many often reach for – that it’s a dance – and expanding on it. Oyin says the idea was to “elevate the pit crew's work from something functional to something artistic." Choreographer Sadeck Berrabah and director Daniel Sannwald “helped us transform the pit stop into a visual spectacle that reflects our premium positioning without feeling traditional or stiff,” she adds. What’s more, Oyin continues, “the film is full of subtle nods to our brand, from liquid shots that echo our whisky’s richness to our logo embedded in the wheel. The choreographed movements reveal the hidden ballet in their performance.”

Using the visual metaphor in favour of literalism is a way to help “people see a pit stop not just as a necessity, but as a masterpiece of human coordination. We're showing that Chivas Regal recognises and celebrates mastery in all its forms, whether that's in our distillery or on the track,” she adds.

Oyin sees a direct connection between the precision and teamwork of the Scuderia Ferrari HP’s pit crew and the dedication that goes into every bottle of Chivas Regal. A metaphor that’s explored in the film and the wider campaign. “A pit stop is a masterclass in precision, years of training executed in just a few seconds. It’s choreography under pressure. That mirrors the craft behind Chivas Regal, where our master blender harmonises aged whiskies with exacting skill,” Oyin adds. “As George the Poet says in the film, both require “that unnatural level of precision.” Whether it’s on the track or in the blending room, excellence is never accidental, it’s the result of synchronised effort, deep expertise, and trust.”

Pushing once more at the borders of what’s expected of a whisky brand is the decision to opt for literal poetry to narrate the film. For Oyin, it works exactly because the move is unexpected. “We wanted to tell this story in a way that hadn’t been done before. We asked: what if F1 could be felt, not just watched?” George the Poet was a natural choice with Oyin noting his “rare ability to give voice to stories that often go unheard, and that’s what we’re doing with the Scuderia Ferrari HP pit crew. His style blends modern energy with classical storytelling.”

As demographics of whisky drinkers and racing fans have started to shift recently towards younger generations and to include women too, the campaign “is about connecting with audiences who value authenticity and are looking for more from F1. The aim of Chivas Regal’s sports culture partnerships is to “help us challenge outdated perceptions of the typical whisky drinker and position Chivas Regal in fresh, dynamic spaces that resonate with a new generation, including gen z. By sharing those untold stories, and doing it in a surprising way, we are directly tapping into modern sports fans' needs.

The ongoing partnership between the brand and Scuderia Ferrari HP, started in 2024. “What connects Chivas Regal and Scuderia Ferrari HP is a shared belief in excellence, not just as an outcome, but as a process built on collaboration. At Chivas, our ‘I Rise, We Rise’ philosophy is rooted in the idea that success is never a solo act,” Oyin says.

‘A Tribute to the Scuderia Ferrari HP Pit Crew’ is then as much a celebration of the craftspeople making racing history as it is of the master blenders at Chivas Regal working together to create the blend that goes into every bottle. Ultimately, in Oyin’s words, “both brands understand that true greatness isn't achieved alone.”