Bringing the #RigToRoad Story to Life

Austin, TX | New Orleans, LA | Houston, TX | October 18-22, 2017

History was made from October 18-22, 2017 in support of the USGP in Austin, TX where Formula One arrived at the Circuit of the Americas for the 6th year. Shell had a full schedule integrating numerous activations throughout the week. Starting with a Shell Live production day on Wednesday and continuing on to tell the #RigToRoad story in New Orleans and with a visit to the Auger Oil Rig. This was followed by a trip to Shell Laboratories in Houston, TX where special guests engaged with Shell scientists. The festivities finished in Austin at the Ferrari Formula 1 Paddock Club with top-notch media, influencer, customer and key partner engagement and hospitality. 

Media results from the week's activities:

Starting at The Road

For the first time in Shell Motorsport history, three of the world's top drivers from three top series came together to showcase Shell's global reach in motorsports. The drivers arrived on the Wednesday before the race at a local Shell station to meet with employees, engage customers filling up, and of course have a little fun together as well.

Joining us from around the world:

• 4-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel from Ferrari
• 2017 IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden from Team Penske
• NASCAR superstar Joey Logano from Team Penske

The group started the day by surprising Shell customers right as they were reaching for Shell V-Power Nitro+ Premium Gasoline. Customers learned about the benefits from Fuel Rewards with special entry cards and promotional signage throughout. 

Surprising fans and Shell customers at the station

No one knows the importance of the right fuel and lubricants like the guys putting it to the test each and every week around the world. The drivers took some time throughout the day to meet with customers filling up at the Shell station. What a surprise!

Performance Elements 1 & 2: Preparation, Knowledge and The Environment

The drivers then moved on camera for a dynamic Shell Live production. They were put to the test with a series of questions and challenges coming in from Shell Motorsport fans around the world. After Josef made sure we knew the city of Austin's slogan, the drivers raced around a replica slot car track of Circuit of the Americas showcasing their expertise of the track environment, on a smaller scale.

Performance Element 3: Style and Precision

The superstars thanked the employees of the local Shell station for being such great hosts, then head out together to try a different kind of driving that tested their style and precision at Topgolf Crush. See the next segment of Shell Live below.

Visiting The Rig

A unique way to tell an impressive story

Shell has been safely and responsibility extracting crude oil from the Gulf of Mexico for decades that are the base for our premium fuels and lubricants that power our motorsport relationships as well as everyday drivers on the road. And, for the last 100 years, Shell has continuously broken boundaries, including developing one of the first globally available premium fuels and a synthetic lubricant made from natural gas. 

There's no better way to tell this story of safety, technology and performance than by inviting some special guests to experience what it takes to make it all happen. Members from The Washington Post and theCHIVE joined Josef Newgarden and Shell to go from #RigToRoad. Before guests were able to take the nearly two-hour helicopter journey out to the Auger Oil Rig, they all completed HUET (Helicopter Underwater Egress Training) safety training in New Orleans. See below for some behind-the-scenes footage of what the once-in-a-lifetime experience was like.

Josef Newgarden takes over Team Penske's Twitter Handle

2017 Verizon IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden was along for the entire #RigToRoad experience, and shared what it was like through the official Team Penske Twitter handle. This was the first-ever example of the Team Penske Twitter handle taken over. The metrics show that fans loved hearing from Josef documenting the experience, capturing nearly 150,000 impressions and over 4,000 unique media engagements. Download the full report from Team Penske by clicking here.

Showcasing Shell's Fuel and Lubricants at Circuit of the Americas

On the world's largest motorsports performance stage, guests experienced Shell's technology come to life in Formula 1. It was the first time in F1 history where an American Grand Prix took place at an American circuit with American owners of the sport, all at the same time. It was clear this combination payed off, with Racer reporting an average of 1.05 million viewers tuning in for the race earning a 0.65 rating. That's up over 35% from last year's USGP.

Media, Customer and Partner Engagement & Hospitality

Guest Dinner with Ferrari

After a day at Circuit of the Americas full of behind-the-scenes tours, qualifying and a private session at Topgolf Crush, guests were invited to an intimate dinner at the Austin Taco Project downtown. The Washington Post, theCHIVE, and the Network of Champions were all in attendance mingling with other guests. The food and drink was amazing, but the real treat? Having Ferrari development driver Marc Gené join to share what the team was doing to prepare for USGP.

Completing the Experience at The Track

The day everyone had been waiting for, Sunday! While an intense early morning rain storm caused some initial concern, it turned into a stunning day for racing. Shell welcomed nearly 50 guests from four different channels around the world including: Shell Retail, Shell Lubricants, Shell Trading and Shell Sulphur. Special guests included media from The Washington Post, theCHIVE and digital influencers from the Network of Champions.

This wasn't an ordinary spectator experience. It all started with a luxury transport from the hotel to the track that was escorted by police the entire way that dropped people off right inside the track. Passing by the hundreds of thousands making their way to watch the race was a special experience, indeed. Once guests arrived, one of the most luxurious and exclusive hospitality experience in all of sports took it from there. The Ferrari Formula 1 Club had a beautiful setup complete with all-day food and champagne and stunning start/finish views. In-between the action, guests got to see inside the Ferrari garage and paddock area, also getting a unique look at the Shell Track Lab that is working to improve fuel and lubricant products at every single Formula 1 race. 

Guests left with a special gift from Ferrari on both Saturday and Sunday, celebrating another thrilling round of the F1 World Championship.

Network of Champions

Shell’s NoC guests, Tamula Walker and Sujeet Patel, were also present in Austin to capture and share the weekend’s activities with their social media audiences. In the coming weeks, they will be sharing recaps of their time with Shell at F1 on their respective blogs. 

Welcoming Very Special Guests

Constantly Working to Improve Guest Experience

In an effort to constantly improve guest experience, the team administered a comprehensive survey for guests to complete after the event. For a small group, the results were top-notch. A critical element of this sponsorship is Shell's ability to develop the highest performing fuels and lubricants at the race track with Ferrari, and the survey checked in how guests learned about that aspect.