Authenticity and Nostalgia: How a blue cap helped Lewis Hamilton and a Brazilian bank form the perfect partnership

By Caio Carrieri

These days, when social media is set abuzz because of a recently released hat, you’d assume that it’s the latest ‘drop’ from a brand like Palace or Supreme – not Brazil’s largest private bank.?

But that’s exactly what happened following Itaú Personnalité’s unveiling of seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton as their new brand ambassador ahead of the 2023 F1 season.?

Itaú Personnalité is the high-income segment of Itaú Unibanco, Brazil’s largest private bank and the biggest financial conglomerate in the southern hemisphere.

The partnership perfectly harnessed the power of nostalgia and authenticity and as a result has delivered a huge group of fans begging the company for a plain hat that they can wear – as well as delivering a significant bump in social traffic.

Hamilton’s connection to Brazil was enshrined in 2022 when he became an honorary citizen at a ceremony in Brasilia, but his story with the South American country began many years before.

The Mercedes star grew up watching the legendary Brazilian Ayrton Senna and has continually paid tribute to Senna with a series of helmet designs and tributes over the course of his career – even admitting to having sleepless nights in the lead up to driving the Brazilian’s historic MP4/4 F1 car.

Senna, who won three Formula 1 Championships, before his tragic death following a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, remains one of Brazil’s most popular ever sports people.

While Hamilton is still hoping to break history and win that elusive eighth world title, if we rewind back to 2008, it was on Brazilian soil that the youngster became the youngest F1 champion of all time at 23-years-old.

From being a vocal fan of Brazil’s finest ever driver to winning his first title on Brazilian soil; Hamilton’s authentic links to the country made him the perfect person for Itaú Personnalité to centre their marketing around.

In the powerful announcement of the partnership, Hamilton speaks of his pride at being an honorary Brazilian citizen before he is handed a blue cap with Itaú Personnalité’s new minimalist logo – and that is when the brand hooks F1 fans in with a subtle but powerful manner.

Before even showing the cap’s logo to the camera, Hamilton brings his gift to his chest and smiles smoothly – once again displaying his strong links to the country, and Senna, for all to see.

“This reminds me of someone… Obrigado [Thank you]”, he replies.?

Hamilton’s authenticity is clear and as a result the video has generated over 18 million impressions on Twitter, over five million views on YouTube and more than 21.2 million video views on Instagram – these are impressive figures for an influencer, let alone for the account of a corporate bank.

Ayrton Senna’s name isn’t event mentioned, but it doesn’t need to be.

For Brazilian F1 fans that spent their Sundays cheering Senna as he hurtled around corners in the 80s and 90s before their traditional family lunch, that blue cap represents someone they already loved and have fond memories of.

This is the power of nostalgia, the strategy of tapping into familiar elements from previous decades to build trust for fresh ideas that bolster contemporary campaigns.

Back in the ‘90s, Senna was endorsed by Banco Nacional [National Bank] and a blue cap with the bank’s white logo became an extension of his body.

Until this day, Brazilian F1 fans wear replicas of the Banco Nacional cap, even though the cap ceased to exist in 1995.

The icing on the cake is Hamilton finishing off the ad saying in Portuguese the company’s new slogan, “Sempre em movimento [Always on the move]”, which has strong motorsport connotations but also resonates with a non-F1 audience.?

As well as elevating Itaú Personnalité’s prominence on social media, the ad was aired on the primetime evening slot on TV Globo, a free-to-air broadcaster that covers 98.6% of Brazil’s territory.

As a result, there has been an explosion of nostalgia in popular culture. The Itaú Personnalité x Lewis Hamilton partnership content is a great example of how brands can leverage a positive emotional response from consumers when campaigns are rooted in authenticity.

Hamilton fits this the mould perfectly – he transcends the sport, is careful who he partners with and uses his own platforms to promote the messages he chooses wisely. This, combined with his genuine connection to Brazil, adds value to the sponsor and boosts brand differentiation by breaking through promotional clutter.?

The incredible reaction to the campaign also demonstrates the power of getting the right ambassador for the right message. When Hamilton speaks of his love for Brazil and Senna, fans know he is being honest and truthful – that’s why the campaign resonated with us Brazilians.

This authenticity is reflected in the fact Hamilton was named the third most marketable athlete in the world in SportsPro’s annual list in 2022 – the driver selects what he puts his name to carefully and as a result fans know that when he speaks, they can trust what he says.?

Through a perfectly executed piece of short video, utilising just a few minutes of Hamilton’s time, the sponsor has harnessed the energy of a national treasure and it won’t be a surprise if we saw a new wave of branded blue caps at the S?o Paulo Grand Prix in November.?