Accelerating Ambition: Airwallex x McLaren Partnership Launch

Jack Zhang, Oscar Piastri and 2 others holding $10,000 VISA airwallex voucher

Image credit: @gaziphoto

At the start of the year, Melbourne-born global financial platform Airwallex announced its partnership with McLaren Racing, joining as an Official Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team, one of the most iconic teams in the sport, throughout the 2024 season and beyond. The partnership will see Airwallex modernise McLaren’s global financial operations and support the introduction of a digital partner merchandise platform. Airwallex will also become a permanent fixture across McLaren’s livery, driver overalls and other branded material.

Airwallex’s partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 team aligns with its global ambitions to be the financial platform of choice for innovative businesses across the world and represents a collaboration of two fast-moving tech businesses, both driven by the power of innovation and an ambitious spirit that stops for no one.

red race car

Image credit: @gaziphoto

Beyond announcing the partnership through a dedicated media launch in line with global plans, we wanted to dive deeper to celebrate Airwallex and driver Oscar Piastri’s Melbourne roots. Icon’s comms and creative teams came together to deliver creative ideas for a ‘Homecoming’ activation in Melbourne in the lead-up to the Australian GP. This included both an exclusive event for Airwallex customers, partners – including McLaren – and other stakeholders as well as an OOH advertising campaign.

These elements ran alongside an Airwallex-commissioned and designed mural of Oscar in Melbourne’s CBD and a competition giveaway offering startups the opportunity to win over $30k worth of cash and prizes to fuel their ambition.

Oscar Piastri painted mural

In addition to the creative execution and filming surrounding the Australian GP and Homecoming event, Icon ran a successful local PR and media engagement campaign, inviting media to attend the Homecoming event and pushing the partnership story out to several major outlets to achieve 54 clips of coverage, including 31 in top-tier publications including both the AFR and The Australian. Four media attended the homecoming event and more than 100 customers also joined the party.

group of people attending Airwallex x Mclaren homecoming event at Melbourne Grand Prix 2024

Image credit: @gaziphoto

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