As Melbourne geared up for its biggest motorsport moment of the year, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey took the race week atmosphere beyond the circuit, delivering a high-octane series of fan activations across the city, via Today the Brave.
Marking the fourth year of its global partnership with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, Jack Daniel’s executed a “fan-first” strategy designed to make it the loudest brand off-track. The campaign transformed Melbourne’s iconic venues into interconnected hubs of music, whiskey, and motorsport culture, accessible to both ticket holders and the general public.
The ambitious week-long takeover was further elevated through powerhouse partnerships with We Are Different, Untitled Group, Starcom and Wasserman.
The ‘Loudest’ Highlights Included:
Jack’s Garage at The Espy: In partnership with Untitled Group, the legendary Gershwin Room was transformed into a four-night music sanctuary. Featuring an electrifying line-up including The Presets, Slowly Slowly, Anna Lunoe, and Keli Holiday, the sold-out series bridged the gap between petrolheads and indie music fans.
Jack’s Street Party at The Middle Park Hotel: Serving as the heartbeat of the activation, the venue hosted the official “Warm Up Party.” Local hero and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri made a surprise appearance, igniting the crowd and generating massive social conversation.
Jack’s Bus: A mobile brand icon that doubled as a limited-edition tasting bar by day and a high-energy shuttle by night, ensuring the Jack Daniel’s presence was felt from the airport to the circuit.
Jack’s Pit Stop at Crown: Personalised Pit Crew t-shirts printed for consumers on site and race inspired theming across two venues.
“Our strategy was simple: don’t just put a logo on a car; put the brand in the hands of the fans,” said Carla Galasso, brand manager at Jack Daniel’s. “We wanted to own the atmosphere beyond the track. By blending the adrenaline of McLaren Mastercard F1 Racing Team with Melbourne’s visceral live music and pub culture, we created an experience that didn’t just sit quietly inside a sponsorship – it became the weekend’s soundtrack.”
The campaign’s reach was amplified by We Are Different, who led a multi-channel PR and creator program. Media and creators were hosted at key campaign moments including the Jack’s Bus preview and Oscar Piastri’s surprise appearance, generating national broadcast coverage and widespread social conversation.
“Melbourne race week has its own unique pulse,” says Imelda Hodson, experience director at Today the Brave. “It was about tapping into this whilst creating something loud and genuinely fun that anyone could discover during the week and that wasn’t dependent on having a ticket to the main event.”
Through curated ‘Jack’s Hours’ and exclusive merchandise giveaways, Jack Daniel’s successfully moved the needle from “sponsor” to “cultural participant,” hosting thousands of fans and cementing its status as the definitive spirit of Australia’s biggest racing moment.
Credits:
Jack Daniels
Brand Manager – Jack Daniel’s: Carla Galasso
Marketing Manager – Jack Daniel’s: Maddy Stockwell
Senior Brand Manager – Jack Daniel’s: Richard Dredge
Advocacy Partnerships and Content Manager: Ale Alvarez
Events and Sponsorship Manager: Morgan Flanagan
Content and Social Manager: Conor Fisk
Brand Ambassador – Jack Daniel’s: Andy Tsai
Brand Ambassador: Linus Schaxmann
Brand Ambassador: Sam Kirk
Channel Marketing Manager – On Premise: Alex Moore
National Account Manager – On Premise: Claire Nimmo
Today the Brave
Experience Director – Imelda Hodson
Group Account Director – Zoe Myler
Creative Director – Ed Nethery
Executive Producer – Haydn Mariu
Wasserman
Associate Director, Strategy and Consulting – Dan Sharples
We Are Different
Founder & Director: Stuart Terry
Head of Earned: Zoe Finlayson
Head of Social: Cal Guyll
Group Performance Director: Siobhan Veddovi-McCaughan
Performance Manager: Nadia Setianto
Social Media Manager: Kamini Goh
Performance Executive: Bella Salier
Untitled
Head of Partnerships: Dwayne Thompson
Partnerships Integration Manager: Renee Piccani
Head of Programming: Chris Sheppard
Programming Assistant: Declan Long
Starcom
Harrison Hart – Planning Manager
Ross Ashby – Account Director
Sam Down – Client Service Director
Emirza Prabu – Digital Activation Manager
Matthew Tan – Investment Manager
David Chan – Investor
