If you're thinking “WAGs? What’s that, a new racing term?” Well, WAGS stands for and if you must know it stands for Wives and Girlfriends (WAGs) and in the world of Formula One (F1), the F1 WAGs culture is evolving due to the growing influence of the sport’s female viewership in the Formula One fanbase for the past years.
Based on the study from F1 Academy, female fans are now representing 40% of F1 viewership. The shift in fan demographics creates vast opportunities that brands see as a marketing potential to tap into with growing power and influence of the F1 WAGs culture to market their goods.
Forget the days when the spotlight was solely on the drivers. Today, it’s also on their impeccably styled partners (WAGs) who are turning heads and influencing trends trackside and online. The reason why the F1 WAGs are getting more attention and limelight within the F1 fanbase is because of their influential fashion sense and aesthetic lifestyle.
Adding to that, many of them have their own thriving careers and niche interests from golfing, modelling to being art enthusiasts, which makes them feel authentic, aspirational, and incredibly relatable to the younger, modern audience. Hence, brands are now capitalising on the F1 WAG culture by positioning the F1 drivers’ girlfriends and wives (WAGs) as part of their marketing campaigns and subtle product placements.
Rhode Skin x Alexandra Saint Mleux
Take Alexandra Saint Mleux, for example, the girlfriend to Ferrari’s golden boy, Charles Leclerc. She’s not just famous for her relationship status; she’s also a rising it girl with features in Vogue, Elle, and Vanity Fair, and over a million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Her cool-girl aesthetic and relatable wardrobe (yes, she shops at Zara!) have won her major points with F1 fans and fashionistas alike.
So when Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand, Rhode, noticed Alexandra casually wearing their products, they didn’t just double-tap, they made a move.
The result? A genius collaboration for Rhode’s 2024 Fall Campaign, with Alexandra front and center as the face of the brand. The partnership wasn’t just beautiful; it was strategic. Alexandra’s effortless charm, trend-savvy style, and authentic vibe perfectly aligned with Rhode’s brand image, and the F1 fandom took notice. Engagements on Rhode’s social media exploded, with TikTok and Instagram posts featuring Alexandra drawing in a whole new wave of beauty buyers, many of them are F1 devotees.
Alexandra Saint Mleux for Rhode's Fall Campaign:
Tommy Hilfiger x George Russell x Carmen Mundt
Another brand connected to the world of Formula One that is utilising the power and influence of the wives and girlfriends of the Formula One drivers to market their goods is the long term sponsor for the Mercedes Formula One team, Tommy Hilfiger. The brand has been making focused efforts to highlight their connection to the world of Formula One not just through the F1 drivers but also their girlfriends.
If you’ve been keeping tabs on Tommy Hilfiger’s social media campaigns, you might’ve spotted Mercedes' very own George Russell alongside his stunning girlfriend, Carmen Mundt. They are well known amongst the F1 fanbase as the IT couple in the paddock. This goes to show how well the brand recognises the power of this duo and decided to make them the main feature in many of their campaigns.
In addition, George and Carmen’s polished, preppy-cool style perfectly reflects the brand’s image and their undeniable chemistry and fun personas have made them fan favorites both on and off the track.
Marketing Takeaway: In Formula One, lifestyle sells just as fast as the cars
What we can take from this is that marketing in the space of Formula One is unlike any other sport. It's not just about the cars anymore but more about the culture, the lifestyle, and the personalities on and off the track. And now that we’re seeing more brands tapping into the F1 WAG culture, we have to ask...
Are we about to witness the rise of an entirely new marketing era, powered by fast cars and fashion icons? Buckle up as the grid's just getting started.
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