One of the fastest-rising partnerships in the whisky industry today has been that between Formula 1 and whisky. Early in the summer, Glenmorangie was named as the official whisky of F1 as part of the latest in a long line of collaborations between Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) and the motorsport. Also this year, Jack Daniel’s celebrated its continued partnership with McLaren, with the release of a special 2025 edition whisky packaged in the iconic McLaren papaya colours. There’s also the new partnership between Jenson Button’s Coachbuilt whisky and his old team Williams Racing, where a number of special limited-edition whiskies will be released in the name of the collaboration.
One partnership standing out over the past few months in the F1 space is that between Ferrari and Chivas Regal. The oldest surviving and most successful team in the history of the sport, Ferrari announced Chivas Regal as an official team partner at the tail end of 2024, and the collaboration reached a whole new level with the introduction of fan-favourite driver Charles Leclerc.
In March this year, Chivas Regal announced that Leclerc was on board as global brand ambassador, a huge get for the Scotch whisky brand given his popularity. With 20.3 million Instagram followers and an enormous flock of supporters following him on track every other week around the world, it would be fair to say it’s a coup for the Scotch brand’s global image, especially with a younger audience.
The partnership was celebrated with a special one-night-only pop-up piano bar — aptly named Leclerc’s — in Melbourne on 11 March ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Those familiar with the Netflix series Drive to Survive will be aware of Leclerc’s love of the piano (impressively self-taught, too) and the event gave VIP guests the opportunity for an immersive night of music and, of course, whisky, through the form of cocktails.
A key component to Chivas Regal’s vision is global marketing director Nick Blacknell. If Chivas were an F1 team, think of Blacknell as the Fred Vasseur of the team; Ferrari’s team principal, driving every aspect of strategy and tactic. His 40 years of experience in the industry has included international brand director roles at the likes of Jameson, Beefeater Gin, and Havana Club. Since joining Chivas Regal in July 2020, he has worked on a variety of campaigns across fashion and culture and is responsible for the acceleration of this new era of sports culture.
“The Melbourne event was a fantastic way to kick things off. Leclerc’s really brought the partnership to life in a fresh and unexpected way,” says Blacknell. “Social media has opened up new audiences to the world of whisky and transformed how it is experienced. For this specific collaboration, Charles Leclerc’s strong personal brand and social media presence offered an ideal platform to engage with a wide variety of fans and to offer elevated drinking experiences to new global audiences.”
It’s not just been the Formula 1 space in sport that Chivas Regal have been occupying, either. It is no stranger to the world of sports collaborations. Last year, the brand announced itself as the official partner of Arsenal Football Club beginning with the 2024–25 season in a multi-year deal. Showing support for both the men’s and women’s teams, the partnership includes behind-the-scenes content and global live experiences featuring players from both squads.
Just a few months ago, Chivas Regal launched a new online content series titled Pies and Punchlines, hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan. Several Arsenal players have featured in the light-hearted series, including Kai Havertz, Mikel Merino, and Leandro Trossard.
Earlier this spring, the partnership even led to the mouth-watering development of whisky-infused pies served at Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United. This won’t help to put a plug in the infamous “who ate all the pies” football chant any time soon.
“Today whisky drinkers aren’t just choosing a product; they’re buying into a lifestyle,” says Blacknell. “That’s why impactful campaigns must be culturally relevant, emotionally resonant, and digitally driven. Partnerships rooted in passions like sport and fashion enable brands to connect authentically and broaden their appeal to a wide range of consumers.”
It’s this desire for cultural relevancy, particularly online, that is clearly the driving force to Blacknell’s vision and what Chivas Regal hopes to achieve through partnerships with extremely popular global brands. These aren’t small, targeted collaborations where one side has a few thousand fans to try and appeal to. Both Ferrari and Arsenal have an overwhelming global fanbase of tens of millions. Even just attracting 0.5 per cent of this audience would be a monumental achievement for Chivas Regal. In fact, by targeting a demographic of this nature (with F1 having a particularly enormous 18–30 following) who may not yet have a passion for the spirit, it could be argued this will have a positive ripple effect across the entire whisky industry. After all, nobody drinks just one brand.
The transition to Gen Z targeting and lifestyle consumers is maintaining a level of brand relevance and has driven growth in key markets. “Staying culturally relevant is key to success in today’s whisky market. Collaborations with influential figures like Leclerc highlight our growing presence in modern sports culture and lifestyle, while reinforcing our brand values of celebrating collective success,” explains Blacknell.
“These partnerships help us challenge outdated perceptions of the typical whisky drinker and position Chivas in fresh, dynamic spaces that resonate with a new generation, including Gen Z. By working and aligning with athletes…we’re tapping into a broader lifestyle consumer base and weaving luxury, culture and creative influence into the heart and identity of our brand.”
At the time of writing, the most recent promotional campaign featuring Leclerc was unveiled at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. A new short film written by George the Poet, “A tribute to the Scuderia Ferrari HP Pit Crew”, includes Leclerc and his teammate seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (you may have heard of him) paying tribute to the hard work of the Ferrari pit crew, tailored in a way that is said to mirror the production of a Chivas Regal whisky. But what it also shows is the continued strength of creativity on display for this campaign and the willingness to create. We’ve seen countless celebrity endorsements in the past where they are attached in name alone, but even the opening few months of this new era for Chivas, Leclerc has shown he’s more than a good sport. After all, in Blacknell’s words, it’s Leclerc’s “tenacious spirit, commitment to excellence and personal passions that inspired this partnership”.
Among the many sports collaborations — and in particular F1 collaborations — occurring in the whisky space simultaneously at the moment, Chivas Regal have a vision clear for all to see. Ferrari may not be winning the Drivers’ Championship or the Constructor’s Championship this season, but when it comes to inventive whisky brand partnerships, it is in pole position.
Tasting notes: Chivas Regal 18 Years Old
Nose: Very sweet aromas. Cadbury’s fudge, toffee, caramel, nougat, marshmallow, honey. Sour apples. Banana foams.
Palate: Smooth, butter, malt bread, pineapple. Not as sweet as the nose. Raisins. Subtle hint of chestnuts.
Finish: Medium in length with semi-lasting notes of fig and a subtle fruity burst of banana and apple.
