The One Show
The One Show is the world's most prestigious award show in advertising and design. For over 50 years, the Gold Pencil has been regarded as one of the top prizes in the creative industry. The One Show has a rich legacy of honoring some of the most groundbreaking ideas, created by some of the most remarkable minds in creativity.
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Category
Innovation / New Ideas in Technology
Annual ID
OS25_CT005G
Background
Michelob ULTRA faced a steep challenge: Disrupt Heineken’s dominance in F1 sponsorship and establish itself as a premium beer brand in a competitive space. F1’s fan base, defined by its appreciation for high-tech precision, offered an opportunity to leverage groundbreaking technology. By using emerging technologies, Michelob ULTRA aimed to redefine traditional sponsorship approaches and engage fans in an entirely new way, setting a precedent for the future of branded entertainment in sports.
Creative Idea
Michelob ULTRA introduced Lap of Legends, the first-ever real-vs.-virtual race. The event used AR, AI, and real-time telemetry to bring F1 legends back to life as AR avatars racing against Logan Sargeant on a real racetrack. This groundbreaking use of technology didn’t just enhance the event — it became the event itself. By creating a unique intersection of sports and innovation, Lap of Legends pushed technological boundaries, demonstrating Michelob ULTRA’s commitment to disrupting the status quo in F1.
Insights & Strategy
Insight: F1 fans thrive on the sport’s technological ingenuity and its ability to deliver cutting-edge experiences.
Strategy: Michelob ULTRA leaned into F1’s spirit of innovation to create an event that could only exist through transformative technology. AR and AI weren’t treated as gimmicks but as tools to fundamentally reimagine racing, offering fans a new dimension of the sport. This bold use of technology was designed to align Michelob ULTRA with premium, forward-thinking values.
Strategy: Michelob ULTRA leaned into F1’s spirit of innovation to create an event that could only exist through transformative technology. AR and AI weren’t treated as gimmicks but as tools to fundamentally reimagine racing, offering fans a new dimension of the sport. This bold use of technology was designed to align Michelob ULTRA with premium, forward-thinking values.
Execution
Lap of Legends deployed cutting-edge innovation to bring AR avatars of iconic F1 drivers to life.
Logan Sargeant raced in his car — like he normally would — at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix. But his digitized opponents appeared as augmented reality avatars in his racing helmet, responding to his driving motions in real time. We used AI to gather 45 years of data and deploy millions of data points to build unique racer profiles that had 198 unique attributes — so the virtual racers think and drive like they used to. We then conveyed Logan’s movements to them via real-time data, allowing them to react to his every move.
Broadcast across AMC, Roku, and BBC America, and amplified through social and digital activations, the event pioneered a new era of branded entertainment where technology didn’t just enhance the experience — it was the experience.
Logan Sargeant raced in his car — like he normally would — at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix. But his digitized opponents appeared as augmented reality avatars in his racing helmet, responding to his driving motions in real time. We used AI to gather 45 years of data and deploy millions of data points to build unique racer profiles that had 198 unique attributes — so the virtual racers think and drive like they used to. We then conveyed Logan’s movements to them via real-time data, allowing them to react to his every move.
Broadcast across AMC, Roku, and BBC America, and amplified through social and digital activations, the event pioneered a new era of branded entertainment where technology didn’t just enhance the experience — it was the experience.
Results
Lap of Legends redefined what branded experiences could achieve with innovation. The campaign generated 300 million impressions, and unlocked $10 million in added media value – fully covering production costs. Michelob ULTRA also surpassed Heineken by +16% in cultural conversation surrounding F1, cementing our place as a disruptive force in the sport. By pushing the boundaries of AR, AI, and real-time data integration, Michelob ULTRA set a new benchmark for technology-driven creativity.
2025 Awards
Total Points: 45
Gold Pencil
Credits
Agency
FCB / New York
Client / Brand
AB InBev - Michelob ULTRA
Production Company
The Mill / New York
Music / Sound Production Company
Citizen Music
Animator
Doma Harkai
Art Director
Ilgi Candar Dyer
Associate Creative Director
David Green
Lara Polovina
Chief Creative Officer
Michael Aimette
Chief Strategy Officer
Todd Sussman
Creative Director
Jim Robbins
Thomas Mori
Design Director
Eric Benitez
Designer
Ella Hyunjoo Ahn
Director
Andrew Proctor
Mara Rudolph
Editor
Chris Monteiro
Jake Zimet
Executive Creative Director
Alexandre Abrantes
Producer
Katherine Miccio
Ramya Shankar
Strategy Director
Jamie Rutherford
Assistant Editor
Andre Correa
Associate Producer
Jenna Ramon
Executive Producer
Chris Connolly
Global Art Director & Designer
Vitor Hugo Favero
Global Creative Partner
Danilo Boer
Group Strategy Director
Alex Beerden
Head of Design
Sy-Jenq Cheng
Lead Editor
Breithner Monteiro
Senior Designer
Simon Fernandes
Senior Producer
Catherine M. Fischer
Senior Strategist
Michael Schonfeld
VP, Executive Integrated Producer
Daniel Roversi
2D Lead
David Piombino
Account Director
Elisa Tanganelli
Account Executive
Gillian Bloom
Matthew Hamburg
Louis Carvell
Account Manager
Brian Sanchez
Account Supervisor
Logan Butler
Analyst, Paid Social
Nicholas Galanti
Archival Producer
Lizzy McGlynn
Associate
Elena Holceker
Associate Director, Content
Zena Gittens
Associate Director, Digital Investment
Ashley Gigante
Associate Director, Investment
Griffin Noake
Associate Director, Paid Social
Kelly Lynn Chagnon
Associate Director, Strategy
Alex Nathanson
Associate General Counsel, Anheuser-Busch
Cara Stuckel
Erika Cohn
Associate Program Director
Abby Kiefer
Brand Director of Digital, Michelob ULTRA
Teresa Keeney
Brand Director, Michelob ULTRA
Leah Saccoccio
Car Assembly Manager - Heritage
Jim Barker
CG Lead
Stephen Eisenmann
Creative
Simon Dolsten
DIL Team Leader
Andrew Newton
Director of Business Affairs
Janice Katz
Director of Experience
Jocelyn Birsch
Director of Experiential Marketing, Michelob ULTRA
Matias Regenhardt
Director Sports Marketing and Partnerships, Michelob ULTRA
Dylan Ruby
Director, Digital Investment
Juli Marques
Director, National Media, Michelob ULTRA
Alexis Unwalla
Executive Creative Director, Production
Gavin Wellsman
Executive Vice President, Investment
Kara Lazarus
Experience Senior Producer
Lyn Gaza
Experience Technology Director
Adam Smith
F1 Media Communication
Rebecca Banks
Head of Design & Creative Director
Patrick Coleman
Head of Live Action UK
Johnny Blick
Head of Media
Juliana Wurzburger
Head of Partnerships
James Southerland
Key Account Executive
Tony Cassano
Line Producer
Swifty Hanrahan
Tim Tyrell
Manager
Elayza Gonzalez
Jake Spitz
Manager, Paid Social
Corey E. Brown
Managing Director
Angela Lupo
Media Sales Manager
Dave Bignel
Partner Manager
Charlie Raven
Project Manager
Lilly Sessions
Sales Account Manager Media Rights
Holly Boyd
Senior Analyst, Paid Media
Issac Aronoff
Senior Analyst, Paid Social
Isaac Aronoff
Senior Creative Developer
Rui An
Senior Partner Manager
Juliette Pelham
Senior Post Producer
Matt Klein
Senior Project Manager
Chelsea Harmon
Samantha Sam
Senior Vice President
Peter Martin
Senior Vice President, Creative Experience
Gerard Martin
Sr. Account Manager
Zoe Schafer
Sr. Brand Director, Michelob ULTRA
Miles Ritenour
Sr. Business Affairs Manager
Jeff Robertson
Sr. Comms Strategist
Dominique Thibault
Sr. Director, Marketing Communications, Anheuser-Busch
Lacey Clifford
Sr. Manager, Michelob ULTRA
Sarah Ben-Zvi
Sr. Talent Manager
Jewel Chandler
Studio Director
Jackie Helfgott
Supervisor, Investment
Alex Anderson
SVP, Group Account Director
Diana Gonzalez Cash
SVP, Head of Production & Content
Nick Williams
The Garage Crew at Williams Racing
The Garage Crew at Williams Racing
Vice President, Content and Partnerships
Mike DeSanti
Vice President, Investment
Jaime Millman
Vice President, Strategy
Justin Simon
VP Marketing, Michelob ULTRA
Ricardo Marques
VP of Creative, Michelob ULTRA
Talita Andrade
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