What Barilla’s Formula 1 move means for sports advertising beyond the Super Bowl

At 300 kilometers per hour, Formula 1 is all about speed, precision, and performance. Pasta, on the other hand, is slow-cooked comfort. But in today’s marketing landscape, unexpected pairings are often the most powerful—and that’s exactly what makes the recent partnership between Barilla and Formula 1 so intriguing.

Barilla’s new multi-year deal as an official partner of Formula 1 marks the latest in a wave of FMCG brands aligning with the sport—not just for visibility, but for storytelling. Following in the footsteps of KitKat and RedBull, Barilla is using the global stage of motorsport to reframe its brand around connection, culture, and experience.

For starters, one might question what does a plate of pasta have in common with a Formula 1 car? At first glance, not much but dig deeper and one might realise that the partnership works on multiple levels. At a product level, each domain needs a lot of craftsmanship and practice to deliver a high quality and well branded experience, said Prantik Mazumdar, president of TiE Singapore and SportsTech evangelist.

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Additionally, Barilla group isn’t new to sports sponsorship given their past association and brand campaigns with tennis legends, Roger Federer and Coco Gauff. Moreover, Paolo Barilla, the company’s vice president and billionaire owner himself was a Formula 1 driver, who raced for the Minardi team in 1989-1990. "Given these associations, I think it makes for an interesting and intriguing angle for Barilla to come on board as a second-tier partner with the F1 and speed up their growth leveraging the category," added Mazumdar. 

Similarly, Deborah Rowe, managing director of boutique sports and lifestyle PR agency, Talk of the Town said that both Formula 1 and Barilla are iconic brands with global reach. "Formula 1 is about high performance, precision, and passion – values Barilla shares in its approach to food and heritage. There’s also a growing trend of integrating lifestyle into sports," said Rowe. 

While a pasta bar in the Formula 1 paddock may feel indulgent, it is also human and relatable. "Imagine the fan who experiences this at a Formula 1 race. The next time they watch Formula 1 from home; they may crave pasta. That's where brand affinity starts: through consistent, meaningful moments," added Rowe, stating that: 

F1 is no longer just about racing; it's a lifestyle experience.

As such, FMCG brands stand to gain more than just visibility. They gain frequency, relevance and emotional storytelling. This is because Formula 1 offers not just global exposure but recurring touchpoints with fans. The season format also allows brands to build long-term narratives, unlike one-off sports events, said Rowe. 

"More importantly, it gives FMCGs the chance to become part of rituals. Just like a hotdog is synonymous with American Football, pasta could easily become a race-day staple. With the right storytelling and activation, that kind of brand association can be incredibly powerful," she added.

Firstly, at the product level, each domain needs a lot of craftsmanship and practice to deliver a high quality and well branded experience. Beyond that, the Barilla group isn’t new to sports sponsorship given their past association and stellar brand campaigns with tennis legends, Roger Federer and Coco Gauff. Last but not least, Paolo Barilla, the company’s vice president and billionaire owner himself was a F1 driver, who raced for the Minardi team in 1989-1990.

Given these associations, I think it makes for an interesting and intriguing angle for Barilla to come on board as a second tier partner with the F1 and speed up their growth leveraging the category

That said, FMCG brands are not the only brands that stand to gain from partnering with Formula 1. This is for as long the partnership aligns and is authentic to the brands. In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Darrelle Eng, head of brand, Singapore Sports Hub said the strength of a partnership is not just about the dollars, but the impact and association of what it means for the brand.

"It can be at a strategic or tactical level, depending on the objective, whether it is purely for awareness or it is for association," said Eng. Even then, Formula 1 is in the position to choose who and what they would like to partner with. 

Brands also have a choice of whether to partner with Formula 1 as a league or with a team. "Why choose Formula 1 and not a Formula 1 team or a Formula 1 driver? There is a distinction between wanting to sponsor a tour or a team or driver, it is ultimately dependent on what the objective is," added Eng, explaining that brands could gain consistent exposure and awareness, but not loyalty as a partner of the sport. 

In addition, partnering a team or a driver may give less exposure due to performance, but may achieve greater loyalty from fans who follow said team or driver. Eng stated:

 "Ultimately, it is about the alignment of the brand to the audience that they are targeting and the authenticity of the partnership."

Is Formula 1 the next Super Bowl? 

As Formula 1 continues to evolve into a lifestyle and entertainment platform, its appeal to consumer goods companies has never been clearer. With global reach, digital-first storytelling, and an increasingly younger, more engaged fanbase, Formula 1 offers brands a unique proposition. The question is no longer why companies such as Barilla are getting involved—but what this shift signals about the future of sponsorship, and how Formula 1 is offering something that even legacy platforms like the Super Bowl or major football leagues may not.

According to sportspreneur Padmanabhan Manickam, the rise of FMCG partnerships with Formula 1 points to a broader shift in the global sponsorship landscape—particularly in regions where traditional tentpole events such as the Super Bowl hold less sway.

“Formula 1 definitely reaches a global audience, especially in this part of the world—Asia—where the Super Bowl can be less relevant for consumers,” Padmanabhan explains. “There are only a few sporting properties with true mass appeal here. Football, especially the FIFA World Cup, remains a key sponsorship asset, but it only comes around every four years. Beyond that, the English Premier League has global dominance, but football as the whole world knows, is super crowded." 

That’s where Formula 1 stands out. For FMCG brands, its regular race schedule and year-round visibility offer a level of consistency that’s hard to find elsewhere. “Formula 1 races happen regularly, and each event is backed by high-profile publicity. Continuous mass awareness is a no brainer for FMCG brands where high brand awareness amongst target consumers is a key requirement," said Padmanabhan. 

He added that Formula 1 still offers room for brands to innovate and stand out, compared to more mature and crowded sports platforms. “Formula 1 still has plenty of room and space for FMCG brands. It is less crowded compared to much matured sporting events," said Padmanabhan.

Mazumdar agrees, adding that: 

Barring soccer, Formula 1 is the only sport that offers this large global platform and a regular frequency to engage them, something even the Super Bowl can’t achieve given its geographical and season limitation.

Rowe echoes this, describing Formula 1 as a “storytelling powerhouse”—one that rivals the cultural impact of the Super Bowl. “The rise of ‘sportainment’ has changed how fans engage with sports. Many sporting leagues such as LIV Golf and the HSBC SVNS have adopted faster formats, more entertainment layers, and fan-centric innovations,” said Rowe. “This has attracted younger, digitally savvy audiences—and FMCG brands are taking note and want to be part of this high-energy space where sport, culture, and lifestyle intersect.”

A major catalyst in Formula 1’s transformation has been the success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive. “It’s helped fans connect deeply with the personalities behind the sport and made F1 more accessible and emotionally compelling. That kind of narrative depth is a dream for FMCG brands looking to build authentic connections,” Rowe explained. “They want to be part of these evolving stories, not just on race day but throughout the season.”

Formula 1 delivers global scale, regular engagement, and a luxury-meets-lifestyle narrative that allows brands to go far beyond a 30-second commercial. From VIP paddock experiences and digital activations to influencer collaborations and content creation, F1 offers a multi-layered sponsorship model with year-round visibility. “We’ve seen firsthand how blending sport with lifestyle elements such as music, food, and fan zones significantly boosts audience engagement,” added Rowe. “It’s this multi-sensory, emotionally resonant environment that makes F1 partnerships genuinely memorable and effective.”

However, Eng offers a different perspective, suggesting that comparing Formula 1 to the Super Bowl may be a case of apples and oranges. The Super Bowl is a one-off event, whereas Barilla’s association with Formula 1 is continuous—spanning 24 events across 21 countries. “Most importantly, is the 'Super Bowl effect really what the sport or the industry wants?" said Eng. 

Eng also raises an important point about the nature of Super Bowl advertising: 

The Super Bowl has leaned on entertainment with the half-time show probably generating more views than maybe the game itself, so is it really the Super Bowl, or is it the half-time show generating the interest in brands to partner with?

What sets Formula 1 apart, Eng argues, is its unmatched level of aspiration. “To become a Formula 1 driver takes so much more than almost all other sports. You can pick up a racquet or a ball, you can run or swim nearly anywhere—but you can’t just get into a Formula 1 car and drive. The lack of accessibility to the equipment and the elite pathway to the sport makes it aspirational beyond just physical talent," said Eng.

For brands such as Barilla, that aspirational quality aligns perfectly with its positioning. Barilla has clearly aligned itself with aspirational figures - Roger Federer, Coco Gauff, Michelin-starred chef Davide Oldani, stated Eng. Where Barilla is engaging with a global, high-value audience over time, Super Bowl advertisers are targeting the masses through volume and reach - primarily within a US-centric audience. 

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