Audi is bringing the world famous Gillette brand back to Formula 1 as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal.
It will be the first time that the grooming company has been involved with an F1 team since a marketing partnership with McLaren more than a decade ago. However, its most famous sponsorship tie-up in grand prix racing was with Benetton in the 1990s.
As part of its latest deal, Gillette's logos will appear on the Audi car and other assets, and the partnership will help create bespoke products.
Audi has been pushing hard to attract major brands for its debut F1 season, having concluded a title partnership with finance company Revolut. Its deal with Gillette will include Braun and Gillette Venus products.
Audi's chief commercial officer Stefano Battiston said: “Gillette is one of the most iconic brands in the history of sports marketing, with a legacy built on authentic connections with fans worldwide.”
Gillette's last affiliation with a team in F1 was with McLaren more than a decade ago. A partnership began in 2013 that covered only the Asia region, but it was expanded for 2014 to also include Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
While the deal did not include the presence of logos on the car or team wear, drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen were used for promotional purposes.
Looking razor sharp – @KevinMagnussen and @JensonButton on set with @Gillette. pic.twitter.com/VDLfO6ltzt
— McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team 🧡 (@McLarenF1) May 28, 2014
The tie-up prompted speculation at the time that it could be the precursor to Gillette becoming a title sponsor of McLaren, but nothing came of that – and the partnership did not continue beyond the end of the 2014 season.
While the McLaren deal was more about activation opportunities, Gillette's highest-profile involvement in F1 came with Benetton in the late 1990s.
It signed a major sponsorship deal with the team for 1997, with its logos featuring on the rear wing endplate of the B197 and on team gear. That year, Gerhard Berger took a famous win for the squad in the German Grand Prix.
Gillette also sponsored Brazilian driver Bruno Senna in his brief F1 career, with its logos appearing on team wear and on both his Lotus car in 2011 and Williams challenger in 2012.
