Charles Leclerc took a big leap of faith by kicking off his entrepreneurial venture last year, with his indigenous ice cream brand named ‘Lec’. With five indulging flavors, that have some creative names, at an affordable price, and also keeping the health aspect in mind, Leclerc’s ice cream products made a grand entry in the market 12 months ago.
Fans were all over flavors like Swirly Pistachio, Chocolate Crunch, and Vannilove. On top of that, given the brand name has his initials and the logo seems like a melting ice cream, the Monegasque seems to have nailed the branding game.
One of his on-track rivals, Alex Albon, recently appeared in a Q&A, where he was asked whether he had tried the ‘Lec’ ice cream and, if yes, which flavor he tried. The Williams driver said how he and his girlfriend Lily Muni He tried the Chocolate Crunch flavor and they loved it.
“We tried the chocolate one, it was good, it was really good! It’s supposed to be low-calorie, so it’s supposed to be guilt-free,” Albon said. However, after saying this, the 29-year-old was quick to poke fun at Leclerc‘s promotional strategy.
“Charles, I’m doing your marketing for you, mate,” he said, subtly indicating that the Ferrari driver hasn’t pushed his products as aggressively as he should. And that is true to a certain extent, with Lec’s overall marketing mix lacking on a few fronts.
Alex talking about trying LEC:
“We (him and Lily) tried the chocolate one, it was good, it was really good! It’s supposed to be low-calorie, so it’s supposed to be guilt-free. Charles, I’m doing your marketing for you mate”
— lec♡︎ (@leclercsstreet) April 16, 2025
Firstly, credit where credit’s due: their social media marketing, advertising, and branding in the territories where it is available is on point. Besides being distributed in the Italian supermarkets, Lec is also available in some French stores, and in 2025, the brand also entered the UK with its products available in London.
However, that is it, in terms of the distribution so far across Europe, let alone the rest of the world. Or at least what’s known about it via their promotional activities. Leclerc hasn’t really expanded the brand into new territories to grow his first entrepreneurial venture.
And if he has, there’s not enough promotion to make people aware of the same. While there could be multiple reasons such as the product sell-out not being as expected or the profit margins being tight, the 27-year-old will need to figure this out.
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Even though the product might be excellent in terms of taste and health benefits, Leclerc needs to make it available for a larger set of consumers in at least Europe, so he can create demand elsewhere to bolster his business growth. For now, friendly endorsements from folks like Albon and minor social media buzz will only carry the brand so far.
