McLaren and OKX: new special livery for Singapore and Japan

Cryptocurrency-themed sponsorships are certainly the most disruptive strand in the current Formula 1 landscape.

As we saw in this article, made at the beginning of the season, practically every stable has more or less substantial support from entities operating in various capacities in this field.

Compared to that initial "snapshot" some things have moved and other players have officially entered the league. Among them we analyze here OKX, the second largest marketplace for virtual currencies by trading volume currently in the world. This Seychelles-based brand has chosen to partner with the McLaren team starting with the Miami Grand Prix on May 8: for the races scheduled at the Singapore and Japan circuits, the partnership is highlighted by a dedicated livery.

The idea behind this operation is to celebrate the return of Formula 1 to Asia after the break due to the pandemic period. The name of the campaign, "Future Mode," aims to emphasize the shared goals that the 2 brands intend to pursue in the years to come. On the one hand, the pursuit of an increasingly innovative and functional platform, and on the other hand, getting closer to the top positions in the lineup.

Specifically, the classic Papaya Orange is joined by neon pink and a series of cyberpunk-themed illustrations. the images reference car mechanics and skylines of Asian metropolises. A visual revolution that promises to expand on the same approach that the Woking stable offers in its on and offline materials. The car will also see OKX logos, normally found on the MCL36's rear wing, occupy the bulk of the sidepods as well. We looked at the use of dynamic branding referring to this particular area in this recent article.

Indeed, in the details of the plan there is a sharing of know-how to facilitate McLaren's entry into the Web3 and metaverse through the definition of dedicated strategies and to the MetalX platform. The visual declination of these purposes will also be extended to the drivers' suits and also to the memorabilia that can be purchased on the 2 race weekends.

The car's greater connotation comes amidst a context that is less open to this type of market by virtue of the Singapore government's desired tightening of display on the promotion of virtual currency exchange. As was the case in France on the Paul Ricard circuit, in fact, it is not possible to display this type of branding in the spaces provided for advertising on the circuit but only on clothing and cars. This being the first trip to the Asian continent since as far back as 2019, this is the first real contact between the circus and the millions of potential local users of these modes of trading. So it is logical that one of the major players would take advantage of the circumstance to maximize the return on its exposure.

The special graphics are also available to be used in the Formula 1 2022 video game so as to further extend its visibility in gaming and web. OKX is also a sponsor of the Shadow team that identifies McLaren in E-sports.