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Sponsor X 
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THE SITUATION

As the market leader in an emerging software category, Smartsheet wanted to place clear brand differentiation between themselves and the upstarts. They viewed their new sponsorship of the McLaren Formula One Team as the perfect opportunity to do just that—on an international scale.

But, on a race car crowded with logos, how can a brand stand out? How could Smartsheet use their sponsorship to boldly convey what they stand for—beyond a basic brand impression?

THE SOLUTION

We flipped the idea of an F1 sponsorship on its head when by creating Sponsor X. Smartsheet removed logo from the McLaren F1 cars at several races, replacing them with those of a nonprofit.

Beyond swapping out their logo, Smartsheet also produced rich docu-stories about each nonprofit to accompany the activation in each market.

The impact of Sponsor X was profound. Rather than simply attempting to break through the clutter and tell the world what they stand for, Smartsheet proved it.