Audi is preparing for its entry into Formula 1 in 2026 with a new sponsorship and creative campaign on Sky Sports F1 in the UK. The brand worked with longtime ad agency partner BBH London to create a series of idents that will air throughout the 2025/26 season, designed to showcase Audi’s performance and design heritage.
The campaign centers on Audi’s most recognizable symbol—the four rings. Using CGI, the works transform the rings into dynamic visuals inspired by materials and engineering details from the Audi RS range, such as carbon fiber, ceramic brakes, and precision components. Each sequence gradually reveals the four rings while incorporating sound design that mixes motorsport audio with mechanical effects and cinematic music.
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According to BBH’s head of design Liam Thomas, the goal was to create “living, breathing expressions of performance and precision,” using CGI to highlight microscopic detail and immersive sound. The work was developed in collaboration with Future Deluxe.
Audi UK’s marketing and digital director, Tony Moore, emphasized that the campaign reflects the brand’s DNA: “From our RS models to our motorsport pedigree, Audi’s philosophy is built on precision engineering, innovation, and progress. These idents bring Vorsprung durch Technik to life in a new way.”
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Notably, the creative leans heavily on the imagery and sounds most associated with internal combustion performance cars—metallic components in motion, roaring mechanical audio cues, and the textures of RS engineering. It’s a reminder of how much excitement for the brand is still tied to visceral, mechanical sensations that get pulses racing.
Notably, the imagery and soundscape lean heavily into mechanical cues—spinning parts, metallic resonance, and the raw energy most often associated with internal combustion performance cars. It’s a reminder of how much excitement for the brand is still tied to visceral, mechanical sensations that get pulses racing.
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As the auto industry transitions toward electrification, the campaign highlights an important reality: excitement and emotion often come from the sensory drama of sound and motion. Audi’s creative work here shows how those visceral experiences remain critical, even as silent EVs typically lacking in visceral input begin to dominate the showrooms of most brands.
By combining cinematic storytelling with motorsport cues, Audi aims to engage Sky Sports F1 viewers while reinforcing its RS performance credentials and reminding fans of its motorsport history ahead of its full F1 debut. Media planning for the campaign was handled by PHD.