The big question teams face is how to meet the evolving fan base, and part of the answer is through storytelling with sponsors.<\/p>\n
Most millennials, who are now in their late twenties to mid-forties, were children when the first Toy Story was released in 1995, and have grown up alongside the franchise. The 30th anniversary of the inaugural movie, combined with Toy Story 5 coming out on June 19, 2026, has given Aston Martin an entry point.<\/p>\n
The collaboration with Toy Story features limited edition helmets inspired by Buzz Lightyear and hoodies and is part of the team\u2019s I \/ AM DROPS series of one-off collaborations, which has previously featured The Rolling Stones and DJ Dom Dolla.<\/p>\n
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\n Aston is aiming to attract new fans via the deal with Pixar (Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team)<\/p>\n
Aston Martin\u2019s goal is to make its exclusive 112-year-old brand, which is competing in a championship not known for its diversity over a 75-year history, more inclusive. To some extent, the team has its finger on the pulse; partnering with TikTok and The Rolling Stones and, before the British Grand Prix in July, launching a gel nail polish that matched the colors of this season\u2019s car, the AMR25. It also set up a matcha pop-up in London\u2019s Covent Garden.<\/p>\n
Within a few weeks, Aston Martin went from a technology-heavy \u2018activation\u2019 event in Austin, which included an equation-filled livery and a competition for science, tech, engineering and mathematics students to solve F1 engineering problems, to announcing the Toy Story collaboration. The aim is to serve different audiences, telling fans that they\u2019re welcome, regardless of how they were introduced to or engage with the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s such a buzz and energy around the sport, and we\u2019ve long spoken about the impact of streaming platforms coming in, what the Drive to Survive effect is in Formula One, particularly in the U.S.,\u201d Bloom said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s more than that. It\u2019s the social media storytelling that\u2019s happening by the teams, the drivers, the sponsors in the sport and the fans themselves. It\u2019s the impact of having more races in the U.S. It\u2019s Formula One appearing on the big screen with the huge success of the F1 movie. It\u2019s the extensions into fashion and culture and lifestyle and collaborations.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of this is coming together to really create this surge in fan base that we\u2019re seeing, and also the extension of fans outside of that typical core motorsport fan into that newer, younger, more female audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
F1\u2019s \u2018new classic\u2019<\/p>\n
Aston Martin made its F1 world championship debut in 1959, but lasted only five races \u2014 one of which came in 1960. In the late 2010s, Aston Martin returned to the sport as a sponsor for Red Bull Racing, before, in early 2020, then-Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll invested in the luxury car manufacturer, and a year later it emerged on the grid in Aston Martin\u2019s iconic green livery. After 61 years, Aston Martin was competing in F1 again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn so many ways, it\u2019s an exclusive brand,\u201d Bloom said, adding that the team wants a \u201cmore inclusive philosophy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Put simply: Not everyone will own an Aston Martin, but through F1, the team wants everyone to feel they can be part of its community. Given how F1 fanbases have rapidly grown and evolved over the last few years, Bloom\u2019s focus has been on \u201cbrand positioning.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Aston Martin\u2019s Lance Stroll in action during the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix. (Hector Vivas \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see ourselves as a new classic. We continue to reinvent and make Aston Martin punch outside of category. That\u2019s why it\u2019s such a famous brand. It\u2019s a cultural icon. Formula One is a cultural phenomenon,\u201d Bloom said, emphasizing the need to be a \u201cpoint of difference to the grid\u201d when building a fan-engaged team.<\/p>\n
Through sponsorships, the team wants to reach different audiences and increase engagement. TikTok, which Aston Martin began partnering with in 2021, is an early example of this approach, leading to this year\u2019s \u2018Creator Collective\u2019, where five prominent users of the social media app won the chance to collaborate with the team<\/a>. Bloom said, \u201cWe set out with the philosophy on day one of co-creation. It reflects their other interests, of music, fashion, art and food. Creators can help us to engage that fan in their own authentic ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Creating an enduring brand<\/p>\n The typical F1 fan has transformed through the COVID-19 pandemic. According to analytics company Nielsen, F1 has more than 825 million fans worldwide, up 63 percent since 2018. As the sport grew, Bloom noticed that new fans want to find broader ways to experience and express their fandom, rather than just attending a race weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cThe behaviors of how they are consuming content is changing,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody was asking for a nail gel or a matcha or a Rolling Stones collaboration\u201d, adding the collaborations were examples of the team \u201clearning or recognizing these changes of behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of today\u2019s trends in the paddock, such as the heavy focus on the drivers and their personalities, were prevalent in previous eras. An example would be the 1970s, when 1976 world champion James Hunt was competing. His famed rivalry with Niki Lauda was the basis of the Hollywood movie Rush. Bloom described it as a \u201crock-and-roll era\u201d as the sport crossed into other industries, including fashion and pop culture.<\/p>\n \u201cA decade ago or so, (F1) got very focused on tech and regulations and rules, and there was a barrier to entry to be a fan,\u201d Bloom said. \u201cLifestyle has come back into play, which has accelerated the growth of the fandom. But now the human stories are really emanating.\u201d<\/p>\n