Red Bull Showrun

Red Bull Showrun is a closed-street F1 spectacle that takes over the heart of Sandton, shutting down a key African business district and turning it into a city-scale fan event, with David Coulthard as the hero name on the day.

Under Air Agency, I led the creative concepting for the marketing rollout built around Red Bull’s full replica F1 car, a headline asset that travels with its own security team and a fresh logistics plan every time it moves. With almost no runway, we built a fast, multi-pronged campaign designed to turn the car into a moving billboard and content engine.

We approached it in three beats. First, a pre-event build-up to seed hype and visibility. Second, a high-impact warm-up at DStv Delicious Festival, where we created an exclusive branded zone with a lounge, race viewing, F1 games, and a Red Bull cocktail moment. Third, a Johannesburg tour with set-piece plans for Nelson Mandela Square and Sandton City, including F1 simulators and a bespoke reflex-challenge arcade to win tickets, before everything culminated at Showrun itself with a dedicated fan photo moment.

The hero execution was the car presented on a revolving, lit platform with special effects, an engineering feat in its own right given the precision required to get the vehicle on and off safely, repeatedly, and on schedule.

Client: Air Agency (Red Bull)
Role: Creative and Project Lead

A Formula 1 race car on display outdoors at night, illuminated with red and blue lights, surrounded by a red velvet rope barrier, with sponsors' logos including Oracle, Red Bull, Heineken, and Visa visible on the car and platform.
A woman with styled curly hair and sunglasses, wearing a green t-shirt and brown shorts, drinks Red Bull energy drink at a Formula 1 event, with a Red Bull Racing car in the background.
A Formula 1 race car displayed outdoors on a platform with sponsorship logos in front of a large billboard advertising the Red Bull Showrun event in Johannesburg.
A man wearing a cap and glasses sitting in a racing simulator, holding a steering wheel controller, watching a racing video game on a large screen in a mall or indoor space.
A hand holding a can of Red Bull energy drink with a blurred outdoor event in the background, including people and a racing car.
A red bull Racing F1 car displayed on a circular platform with banners from DHL, SASOL REWARDS, and Heineken. The car features logos from Oracle, Mobil, Pirelli, and other sponsors. The display is surrounded by red ropes, and a crowd of people is see
People standing outdoors near a racing car display on a raised platform, with modern buildings and tents in the background.
Three women standing behind a promotional table for the Red Bull Showrun event, with two laptops on the table; the event is scheduled for October 6, 2024, in Sandton, Johannesburg, with details to get tickets at the website listed.
A Formula 1 race car on display in an outdoor shopping center decorated with string lights at night. The car is illuminated with red and blue lighting and is surrounded by sponsor banners, including Heineken, DHL, Visa, and SASOL Rewards.
A racing car on display with sponsor logos, surrounded by barriers and staff, in front of a building decorated with string lights and a large clock, in an urban setting.
Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car displayed on a platform at an event, with the Red Bull logo, sponsors, and branding visible, surrounded by a crowd and city buildings in the background.
A Formula 1 race car on display at night, illuminated with bright lights and surrounded by a red rope barrier. The display area features sponsorship logos from Heineken, Visa, DHL, Oracle, Red Bull, and others, and is set outdoors with Christmas ligh
Three men are playing a game at an arcade in a shopping mall, with a large digital screen behind them displaying the words "Jump Start!" and an event poster.
A person holding a racing wheel controller in front of a racing simulator screen at an event or store.