Formula 1's Colin Farrell-voiced 'Five Lights' revs up the US audience
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Formula 1 has launched 'Five Lights', a cinematic global campaign narrated by Colin Farrell via agency Wing to promote the season's second half — a Hollywood-voiced, Times Square-anchored push that continues F1's aggressive courtship of American fans.
What F1 launched
Formula 1 debuted 'Five Lights', a 90-second hero film narrated by actor Colin Farrell and created by branded-content agency Wing, featuring all 22 drivers and an original track, 'Reign', by Uunkle. It runs across social, digital and marquee out-of-home including Times Square and Piccadilly Circus.
The campaign is timed to re-engage fans for the back half of the 2026 season, with F1 citing 830 million global fans and multiple 2026 attendance records.
The American growth play
The choice of a Hollywood voice and a Times Square anchor is no accident. F1's biggest growth opportunity is the US, and a cinematic, celebrity-narrated campaign is built to convert casual American curiosity — stoked by years of Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' — into genuine fandom.
Sport is increasingly marketed like entertainment, and F1 is leading that shift: treating a race season like a blockbuster franchise with a mid-season 'part two' trailer.
Star power with a strategic job
Colin Farrell's narration does real work: it lends the campaign cinematic gravitas and borrows his cultural cachet to reach beyond the existing fanbase. Celebrity voice-over is a shortcut to prestige when the goal is to feel like event television.
The all-22-drivers device is smart too — it spreads the story across every team's fans rather than betting on one or two stars, widening the campaign's pull.
Our read for marketers
The lesson is to market moments like entertainment. A mid-season 'trailer' manufactures a fresh appointment to view where a sport might otherwise coast — a tactic any brand with a long campaign or season can borrow.
And use star power with a job to do, not just a famous face. Farrell's voice buys prestige and reach; the best celebrity work is chosen for the specific equity it lends, not merely for fame.
Quick FAQ
What is Formula 1's 'Five Lights' campaign?
A cinematic global campaign narrated by Colin Farrell, created by agency Wing, with a 90-second film featuring all 22 drivers and an original track by Uunkle, running across social, digital and OOH including Times Square and Piccadilly Circus.
Why is F1 targeting American fans?
The US is F1's biggest growth opportunity. A Hollywood-voiced, Times Square-anchored campaign is built to convert casual American curiosity — stoked by 'Drive to Survive' — into genuine fandom.
What can marketers learn from it?
Market long campaigns and seasons like entertainment — a mid-season 'trailer' manufactures a fresh appointment to view — and use star power chosen for the specific equity it lends, not just fame.
— Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
Market long campaigns and seasons like entertainment — a mid-season 'trailer' manufactures fresh appointment-to-view — and choose star power for the equity it lends, not just fame.
Could your long campaign use a mid-season 'trailer' moment to win back attention?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: MediaPost, MarTech Asia, MarComm News.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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