A couple years ago if you asked me to watch a formula 1 race, I would think you were crazy. Why would I watch a bunch of guys driving around in circles? That’s how I would’ve responded to your offer to watch a Grand Prix at the time.
Then I watched Drive to Survive.
In a matter of months, Formula 1 became my favorite sport. I started hosting Grand Prix watch parties at my house, I spent hundreds of dollars on gear, and I started getting into F1 history too. When liberty Media took over F1, they realized that the barrier to entry to enjoy F1 is a lot higher than that of sports like soccer or basketball. In soccer, even if you don’t know the rules it’s pretty easy to tell what’s happening if you just turned the TV on and started watching. One team is going one way trying to score and the other team is going the opposite direction. Whoever scores the most wins, simple. Oh, and you can’t use your hands. Although there are definitely nuances in the rules, it doesn’t take much to understand what’s happening in soccer.
In Formula 1, however, you have to understand the point system, the team driver dynamics, pit stop strategy, tire wear, aerodynamics, and a lot more to really get the full enjoyment out of the race. That’s where Drive to Survive comes in. They focus on story and sprinkle in technical details. After watching a season you’ll know what’s happening in a race, and you’ll also know about a lot of driver/team drama that you wouldn’t know from just watching a race. Most businesses can learn from this strategy. Share the behind the scenes, share the stories of how your products are made in an engaging way. This is one of the most surefire ways to take your audience from unaware of your brand to raving fans very quickly.