The One Show
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Category
Use of Technology
Annual ID
OS25_CU002G
Background
F1’s explosive growth in the U.S. created a unique opportunity for Michelob ULTRA to align with the sport’s premium, data-driven culture. Dominated by Heineken and cluttered with brand logos, the F1 sponsorship space required disruption to stand out. Michelob ULTRA’s challenge: Leverage cutting-edge technology to create an engaging experience that reflects the innovation of F1 while reinforcing our brand’s premium positioning. To achieve this, Michelob ULTRA turned the sport’s dependence on data and technology into the foundation of a groundbreaking branded experience.
Creative Idea
Michelob ULTRA introduced Lap of Legends, the first real-vs.-virtual F1 race, powered by advanced data and AI technologies. Logan Sargeant raced in a physical car on a real racetrack against augmented reality avatars of F1 legends, whose movements were informed by machine learning and historical racing data. Real-time telemetry from Sargeant’s car allowed the AR avatars to react dynamically to his performance, creating a seamless blend of physical and virtual racing. By making technology integral to the experience, Michelob ULTRA turned data into an interactive story, breaking new ground in branded entertainment.
Insights & Strategy
Insight: F1 fans celebrate the sport’s relentless pursuit of innovation and precision, fueled by data and technology.
Strategy: Elevate Michelob ULTRA’s positioning by leveraging F1’s inherent technological sophistication. The campaign transformed data collection and interpretation into a narrative driver, integrating AI, machine learning, and AR to bring racing legends back onto the track. This use of technology allowed Michelob ULTRA to create an unprecedented hybrid event that resonated with the sport’s audience and elevated its brand equity.
Strategy: Elevate Michelob ULTRA’s positioning by leveraging F1’s inherent technological sophistication. The campaign transformed data collection and interpretation into a narrative driver, integrating AI, machine learning, and AR to bring racing legends back onto the track. This use of technology allowed Michelob ULTRA to create an unprecedented hybrid event that resonated with the sport’s audience and elevated its brand equity.
Execution
This execution blended advanced technology and storytelling.
Logan 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 42.3 million 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.
Painstaking detail was put into both the aesthetics and the precise driving physics for each car, as even the smallest inaccuracy could drastically alter the race. A bespoke algorithm included factors like track conditions and detailed schematics of each virtual competitor to ensure it functioned like a real-life race in Logan’s helmet and on the broadcast.
The event aired on AMC, Roku, and BBC America, supported by dynamic social updates and a custom microsite that showcased the campaign’s technological depth.
This groundbreaking execution fused cutting-edge technology with storytelling, creating a hyper-realistic, data-driven race that captivated audiences across platforms.
Logan 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 42.3 million 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.
Painstaking detail was put into both the aesthetics and the precise driving physics for each car, as even the smallest inaccuracy could drastically alter the race. A bespoke algorithm included factors like track conditions and detailed schematics of each virtual competitor to ensure it functioned like a real-life race in Logan’s helmet and on the broadcast.
The event aired on AMC, Roku, and BBC America, supported by dynamic social updates and a custom microsite that showcased the campaign’s technological depth.
This groundbreaking execution fused cutting-edge technology with storytelling, creating a hyper-realistic, data-driven race that captivated audiences across platforms.
Results
Michelob ULTRA’s use of technology delivered remarkable outcomes. Lap of Legends achieved 300 million impressions, unlocked $10 million in added media value — fully covering production costs — and increased revenue at the Michelob ULTRA Fan Zone by +19% compared to 2024 averages during the Miami Grand Prix. The campaign solidified Michelob ULTRA’s position as an innovator in F1 sponsorships, outperforming competitors like Heineken in cultural conversation by +16%. It successfully associated our brand with F1’s data-driven, premium culture.
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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