Mercedes F1 bids emotional farewell to Lewis Hamilton at end of iconic partnership
It’s the end of an era for Mercedes and Formula 1 Star Lewis Hamilton, one of motor racing’s most iconic partnerships, reaches the finish line.
Ahead of Hamilton’s final race for Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday (December 8), the car brand is launching a heartfelt global campaign that also sets the stage for the next generation of drivers.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s ‘Every Dream Needs a Team’ marks an important moment in F1 history as Hamilton, who will join Ferrari in 2025, enters into a 12-year partnership with Mercedes . During that time, the seven-time world champion put Mercedes on the racing map while increasing diversity and inclusion within the sport.
London-based agency AMV BBDO developed the campaign after becoming Mercedes F1’s first creative agency following a six-way discussion on the account in September.
The poignant film mixes archival footage of Hamilton with scenes featuring children of varying ages and backgrounds, who reflect on how the racing champion’s groundbreaking journey inspired their own aspirations. Rising stars such as Kenzo Craigie, Luna Fluxa and James Agnostiadis also make appearances.
Filmmaker Melina Matsoukas, known for her 2019 film, Queen & Slim, directed the spot. The soundtrack is Stormzy’s 2017 song, “Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2.”
“Every Dream Needs a Team” extends beyond the screen with outdoor ads featuring photographs of Hamilton and the Mercedes F1 Team at landmarks across the United States, including Times Square in New York, as well as in the United Kingdom and Kuala Lumpur.
Mercedes F1 tribute campaign will expand to landmarks around the worldMercedes F1, AMV BBDO
Hamilton will be the first to see the campaign today, according to an AMV BBDO spokesperson. During the race weekend in Abu Dhabi, he will carry the advertising message on his car highlighted by the names of 150 fans who represent his millions of followers.
As part of the campaign, Mercedes F1 team director and CEO Toto Wolff recorded an open voice note for Hamilton with parting words and advice, which will be distributed on WhatsApp.
“Every Dream Needs a Team” recalls other famous commercials marking the end of legendary sports partnerships, like Nike’s tribute to tennis champion Serena Williams in 2022. Without the high-octane montages or racing sequences that typically dominate F1 adverts, it sets a more emotional tone to convey that “no one can achieve greatness alone”, said Laura Rogers, director executive creative of AMV BBDO.
The aim was to “make Lewis Hamilton cry”, she said. “Most people would assume that a driver leaving to join another team is not something Mercedes would want to celebrate. But it also marks the end of the greatest partnership in F1 history.”
“This is a unique chance for Mercedes to show Lewis the deep respect they have for him. They wanted him to feel loved,” she continued.
Formula 1 has grown in popularity in recent years, helped in part by Netflix’s hit docuseries, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which debuted in 2019. F1 is the most popular annual sporting series popular, reaching a total audience of 750 million people, and has seen global interest grow by 5.7%, or approximately 50 million new fans, since 2021, according to a report from Nielsen Sports released this week.
