Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is touted to set the track ablaze. After all, the Italians badly want the seven-time champion to bring home that elusive title. It seems the action has already begun, much before the opening race. Albeit on the sponsorship front. And, the energy (pun intended) in this race, is palpable.
After Hamilton signed a new sponsorship deal with Celsius, his former sponsor, the $48 billion American energy drink company Monster, has roped in another British driver, Lando Norris, as its brand ambassador. Brit for a Brit — tit for tat, the Formula One version. Now that’s cutthroat racing. That also means Monster has ended its long association with Mercedes, and will sponsor McLaren.
While at the outset it may seem an emotional move, it is also based on sound logic and has larger implications.
To start with, by roping in Lando, Monster is hedging for the future. Long touted as a prospect for the upcoming years, and popular among young fans across wider markets in Europe, Lando could be the race-winning ace for Monster in its motorsport bragging rights tussle with rival energy drink brand, Celsius. And Monster has already made its move.
Just like it released flavors with Hamilton’s name during their partnership, Monster has done the same with Norris. @f1gossippofficial’s Instagram handle has revealed that two drinks Monster have already been released with Norris’ name on them — the signature Monster Energy drink and the Monster Energy Zero Sugar drink.
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Monster has also customized the packaging of the drinks with the 25-year-old driver’s signature design and color scheme. The Signature Monster Energy drink will be sold in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Norris’ Monster Energy Zero Sugar drink will only be sold in the UK
However, the zero sugar edition will only be sold in the UK. “The Lando Norris Monster Energy Drink will have zero sugar, and you will only be able to get the beverage in the racer’s home market in the United Kingdom,” www.stack3d.com reported.
Fans have already noticed that the American company has removed the Hamilton-branded drinks from the shelves.
The 7x champ was the brand ambassador of Monster from 2017. At the time, he had also collaborated with the brand to release a special zero-sugar drink that was discontinued. The drink was named 44 — his race car number. And it had a “light, crisp, and refreshing taste with a tank-load of the legendary Monster Energy blend”.
With Norris getting the special benefit of having Monster’s drinks released with his name, Celsius will also be planning to do something similar with Hamilton.
