NEOM MCLAREN PARTNERSHIP

Tom Cooney

GROUP COMMS DIRECTOR

Client

NEOM

Sport

Motorsport

Duration

1 minute

NEOM partnered with McLaren Racing as the title sponsor of its electric racing teams, using motorsport as a global platform to promote sustainability, technological innovation, and international awareness as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The NEOM McLaren Electric Racing Team launched ahead of the 2022–23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season.

OUR ROLE

At the start of the 2024/25 season, SMG was tasked with helping to bring the partnership to life - activating it across key moments, maximising its impact across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, and delivering a year-long internal communications programme connecting employees, graduates, and leadership to the partnership.

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EXTERNAL COMMS

Externally, major race weekends became platforms to engage global leaders, media, and young innovators, including the NEOM Thought Leadership Forum: Invested in Progress at McLaren Racing Live in London and executive engagements ahead of the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix with drivers Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard and Team Principal Ian James. The partnership also inspired future talent through NEOM McLaren STEM activations in Saudi schools.

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INTERNAL COMMS

Internally, SMG embedded the partnership through leadership workshops, seminar campaigns, the GrOW graduate programme, fan-focused content via the NEOM Fan Club, and creative digital assets.

Through this coordinated strategy, the NEOM × McLaren partnership evolved from sponsorship into a platform for influence, innovation, and talent engagement - bringing NEOM to the forefront of sport, technology, and future talent development both globally and within the organisation.

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PROJECTS

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