Finger Lickin’ Fast

How a Major Quick Service Restaurant Chain Drafted Behind F1’s Cultural Momentum to Drive +8% New Customer Growth Among Young Multicultural Fans

The Challenge

A major Quick Service Restaurant chain faced an unavoidable reality: while the brand remained iconic, it was increasingly perceived by younger consumers as “old fashion” rather than a culturally relevant choice.

At the same time, the fastest-growing sports phenomenon in the US, Formula 1, was attracting a new generation of fans: younger, multicultural, and highly engaged with food delivery and quick-service dining.

The opportunity was clear. But the restaurant chain lacked the cultural intelligence to understand how to authentically connect with F1 fandom without feeling inauthentic and falling flat. 

The Insight

Using the Collage platform, the restaurant chain uncovered a powerful cultural connection:

Nearly 9 in 10 F1 fans are also active QSR consumers.

But more importantly, F1 fandom is driven by emotional intensity and shared social experiences — race watch parties, communal viewing, and celebration moments that align naturally with group dining occasions.

Collage identified a high-value growth audience within the fandom:

Culture-Driven Enthusiasts

Young, multicultural consumers who follow global sports, value shared experiences, and are highly likely to purchase QSR meals during entertainment occasions.

However, the restaurant chain was under-indexing with this audience on two key cultural drivers:

• Relevance – the brand felt disconnected from the modern cultural moments they care about
• Memories – the brand lacked recent experiences that build emotional attachment with younger fans

The Strategy

Collage helped the restaurant chain reposition itself around the race-day occasion, reframing the brand as the perfect “pit stop for fans.”

Instead of sponsoring a team, the strategy focused on owning the social rituals around F1 viewing, and tying into a major F1-based movie release. 

Key activation pillars included:

Race-Day Rituals
Limited-time “Pit Stop Bundles” designed for group viewing occasions.

Cultural Integration
Creative inspired by F1 language and visuals — speed, pit stops, and race-day intensity — to connect with fandom authentically. 

Community Experiences
Watch-party partnerships with sports bars and fan communities in key multicultural markets.

Social Amplification
Creator-led content tapping into the humor, energy, and communal excitement of race weekends.

The Impact

The strategy helped reposition the restaurant chain within a rapidly growing cultural space.

Results included:

• +8% growth in new consumer acquisition among younger multicultural audiences
• Significant improvement in cultural relevance scores with Gen Z sports fans
• Increased race-weekend purchase intent tied to group dining occasions
• Strengthened brand perception as a modern, culturally connected QSR