Sephora has partnered with F1 Academy, the motorsport’s women’s division, becoming its Official Beauty Retail Partner for this series.
The partnership follows data released by Formula One last year that 23% of the 100,000 ‘highly engaged fans in 186 countries’ it surveyed follow F1 Academy. This figure rises to 42% among women.
Younger and newer audiences also show more interest in the women’s division, with 37% of Gen Z and 36% of newer fans saying that they follow F1 Academy. Given Sephora’s association with younger women, especially teenagers and Gen Z, this partnership seems primed to capitalise on this newer cohort of fans more interested in women’s sport.
Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 Academy, said that the partnership would be ‘challenging outdated stereotypes’ and connecting with this young ‘passionate community’ of fans.
The partnership deal includes ‘immersive’ glam bars and fan activations at selected F1 Academy races, as well as Spanish driver Natalia Granada competing in a Sephora-branded black and white Prema car with red accents, based on Sephora’s branding. Sephora will also be sponsoring a new end-of-year drivers’ celebration.
Formula One’s chief commercial officer, Emily Prazer, said that Sephora’s glam bars would ‘enhance the overall hospitality experience’ at F1 Academy races, another change which has the potential to bring in new demographics of fans.
Sephora isn’t F1 Academy’s first beauty brand partner. The organisation has partnered with haircare brand Wella and makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury in previous years. However, Sephora is a notably younger brand, connecting with the younger audiences which Formula One is targeting.
Deborah Yeh, Sephora’s global chief marketing officer, added that for Sephora, the partnership would bring ‘an incredible opportunity’ to engage with new audiences.
Sephora’s parent company, LVMH, is already partnered with Formula One, and is currently two years into a 10 year deal.
