How Brand SG's F1 trackside ad unexpectedly landed at the right turn

A Brand Singapore trackside ad by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) found itself unexpectedly at the centre of the action during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, after Mercedes F1 driver George Russell had an unscripted moment at Turn 19, directly in front of its “Ready for every twist and turn” message.

Created by The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) as part of Singapore’s new brand launch, the advertisement was strategically positioned at Turn 19, pairing the line with the campaign’s new brand world. Unlike the logo-led branding typically seen around the circuit, the placement used copy to turn its location into part of the creative.

The placement also landed in front of a sizeable audience, with this year’s Singapore Grand Prix drawing a sell-out crowd of more than 301,000 attendees across the race weekend.

Don't miss: How LEGO is turning F1 fandom into a marketing engine

The choice of Turn 19 was deliberate. Speaking to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a TSLA spokesperson said the corner was selected because it is known as one of the more challenging parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, giving the agency an opportunity to connect the placement with the campaign’s wider idea of being “ready”.

“With F1, we can reach a global audience at scale. Turn 19 was chosen specifically because it's known as one of the toughest turns on the track,” said the spokesperson.

For TSLA, the unpredictability of live sport was also central to the placement, with Turn 19 offering a setting where the campaign’s idea of readiness could play out against unscripted action on the circuit.

That came to life when Russell's on-track moment unfolded directly in front of the placement at Turn 19, giving “Ready for every twist and turn” an unintended second meaning and putting the campaign message into the context it had been designed around.

“Many of us were at the race watching it live in disbelief,” the spokesperson said, adding that the team was struck by the fact that the moment had unfolded at the same turn where the work had been strategically placed.

The placement forms part of the creative approach behind Singapore’s new positioning, with TSLA looking to make individual media placements demonstrations of the broader idea of readiness rather than simply carrying the campaign identity.

“Bringing the creative to life in our global communications plan involves making every placement a demonstration of Singapore's evolved positioning to become a place for those who are ‘ready’,” said the spokesperson.

This idea of readiness is not an easy one to show, until something like this happens.

For TSLA, the unscripted nature of the moment also points to where human creativity continues to play a role as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in marketing and advertising.

“If we zoomed into the world of sport, or live unscripted action where anything can happen, human creativity is still your best bet,” the spokesperson said, adding:

To use AI to originate or develop any of this would be shortchanging the potential of your campaign, your brand, your company. Why would you do that?

The placement comes as brands continue to compete for attention both on and off the track during the Singapore Grand Prix, with this year’s race also seeing a shift in which sponsors generated the most conversation online.

According to data from Meltwater, Adidas emerged as the most-mentioned sponsor around the 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, replacing DHL, which led sponsor conversations in 2025, while Aramco took the top spot for engagement. Data from Meltwater also showed nearly 85,000 F1-related mentions and close to 20 million engagements over the 14 days leading up to 12 October.

Adidas recorded 9,439 mentions and 261,455 engagements, retaining its lead in mentions even after the race weekend. By comparison, DHL was the most-mentioned sponsor in 2025, with approximately 5,245 posts and reposts, driven by official announcements around the “Fastest lap” and “Fastest pit stop” metrics.

Photo courtesy of METI.

Related articles: 
Audi F1 trades the paddock for the streets of Singapore 
ION Orchard turns race week into a retail playground 
adidas puts the petal to the metal with Singapore-inspired F1 collection