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View Full Version : Google set to announce sponsorship deal with Honda F1?



Giuseppe F1
19th February 2007, 12:26
Autosport magazine were last week (Thursday) reporting that at the Honda F1 livery launch, to take place at the London History Museum on Friday 25th, that at the widely expected 'eco-themed' launch, in addition to a raft of new eco-friendly sponsorship announcments (BP have been mooted as a possible title sponsor down the line), the widely anticipated 'green' livery is expected to feature green-washed images taken from 'Google Earth'.

I dont expect blatant Google branding on the sidepod and rear wing for example, yet if images from Google Earth are being utilised, one would expect (sorry for just using the royal 'one' there!) there to be some Google branding and indeed Google association must have to be seen as quite a coup for the team and for F1!

I remember alot of teams had egg on their face when Prost, a small team, showed off their shiny new YAHOO deal in 2000.

I was wondering what with Honda employing the services of Simon Fuller/19 management (behind SpiceGirls/AmericanIdol/XFactor etc) last year what 'new ideas' they would create in light of Lucky Strikes departure...


...Its interesting to see how images from Google Earth would translate to an F1 livery when considering all the winglets and curves and aero bits and bobs in the way...for example on a NASCAR you could easily have it on the roof and bonnet as its a big vast space to have a map on yet you would almost need to 'wrap it around' an F1 car livery.

Perhaps Honda will use Google Earth images from each country they race in at that respective GP?


Google certainly doesnt need advertising and i dont see them involved in hardly any sport/motorsport sponsorship to date (thing they have a small involvement with a NASCAR Truck team?) so presemuably their involvement/motivation is on the GLOBAL MESSAGE ideolgy (Global warming/Climate change etc)

Would be good either way to have Google officially involved in F1......who knows.....down the line, an offical affiliation may have reaching effects for us fans in terms of opened up F1 content on Google services such as YouTube if Uncle Bernie is willing! ;)


Looking forward to Friday now!


Giuseppe F1

J1
19th February 2007, 12:52
Looking forward to Friday now!


because it's weekend again? the launch in on 26th - that's Monday ;)

futuretiger9
19th February 2007, 21:30
Very interesting news. For all the criticism, it seems that F1 is still attracting the biggest corporate names, and they don't come much bigger than Google these days. The involvement of Google, if that is what this represents, could open up lots of possibilities. Credit to Honda for this original concept.

Sleeper
19th February 2007, 22:35
From what I gather I think its just a case that Honda want to show themselves as a green friendly company, or at least one working towards this end, and has enlisted Fullers company to create a "world friendly" livery. This has resulted in Fullers lot using images from Google Earth, rather than a direct tieup between Google and Honda Racing.

Personnally I'm curious as to what this livery is going to look like, though I expect that its going to be a terrible colour scheme, I just cant imagine how it could work (though that probably explains why its not my job ;) ).