02 — f1
All campaignsF1 Arcade Launch
A live walkthrough that introduced F1 Arcade’s new Chicago venue as racing, hospitality, and a day out for families and groups.
F1 Arcade × Disney
Launch Communications & Activation
Activation at a Glance
Objective
Local awareness and visit consideration
Audience
Chicago audiences interested in social outings and family activities
Core Strategy
Lead with racing. Show the whole experience.
Format
Live on-site walkthrough
Role
Message development · Interview planning · Spokesperson preparation · Live direction
Scope
F1 Arcade’s 20,000-square-foot Chicago flagship, the brand’s 10th location worldwide
01
The Challenge
F1 Arcade opened its 10th venue worldwide, and its first in the Midwest, in Chicago’s River North. Chicago is also home to the brand’s U.S. headquarters.
The name says racing simulators. The venue also sells food, drinks, group outings and private events. And its real competition wasn't another simulator venue. It was every other night out in River North. The launch had to show the full offer within a short live window, to viewers who aren't Formula 1 fans.
02
The Objectives
Business: Drive first visits and group bookings for the new venue.
Communication: Shift F1 Arcade from “a place for F1 fans” to “an outing for anyone.”
Success measures
Reach: live audience for the segment.
Interest: search and site traffic after the segment.
Conversion: reservations and private-event inquiries in the launch weeks.
03
The Insight
Racing earns the attention. Everything else earns the visit.
The simulators are the visual hook, and they draw viewers in on their own. But most people don’t plan an outing around a simulator. They plan around food, drinks, and who they’re with. A single walk through the venue could show all of it.
04
The Strategy
Core idea: Lead with racing. Show the whole experience.
I built the walkthrough to open on the simulators, then move to the bar, the food, and the venue’s appeal for families and groups. Every message had a matching proof point on camera: a demonstration, a setting, or the spokesperson’s explanation.
Message priority / Role in the walkthrough
Racing experience
A simulator demonstration made the core activity tangible.
Food and hospitality
The bar and food stops showed the social side of a visit.
Family-friendly positioning
The spokesperson explained how families fit into the offer.
The Execution
01 — Pre-launch
Message development & spokesperson preparation
Before launch, I aligned with the brand team on priorities, key messages, interview prompts, and response frameworks. I then prepared the on-site representative to deliver them clearly and conversationally.
02 — Live
Live direction & experience flow
I directed the walkthrough from the simulators to the bar and food, cueing pacing and transitions. Each stop gave viewers one reason to visit and gave the representative one clear talking point.