2025 is the year of Formula 1, from the box office hit Brad Pitt movie to high-profile commercial plays from Audi, Heineken and more.
And now, Airwallex has added another headline to the season, delivering what is now being called Australia’s largest Out-of-Home (OOH) screen takeover, marking a significant moment in local advertising history and a global first for motorsport sponsorship.
In a fully synchronised stunt executed with oOh!media, the fintech giant switched more than 930 screens across the country to a unified creative message within seconds of McLaren star Lando Norris securing his first-ever Formula 1 World Championship title and McLaren Racing claiming the 2025 Constructors victory.
The coordinated takeover spans every major capital city and covers the majority of oOh!’s premium network, including digital large-format sites, retail screens, street furniture, office towers, and high-traffic precincts across airports, rail, and shopping centres.
Across a single day, the execution is expected to reach upward of 4.92 million Australians, making it the most significant cultural brand moment undertaken by a private company in the country.
A unified national message for McLaren and Norris
The instant Norris’ championship was confirmed, the screens flipped to a nationwide message from Airwallex to McLaren Racing, a gesture designed to “ignite a national moment of celebration” in what is now one of the more ambitious brand-led sports activations seen in Australia.
Andrew Balint, Vice President of Marketing at Airwallex APAC, said the execution represents a new benchmark in sponsorship storytelling: “This is a historic opportunity to unite a nation of sports fans and to push the boundaries of what a sponsorship moment can look like.
“To take over the national oOh! network, simultaneously, in celebration of a much beloved racing team and Championship winner, Lando is unprecedented.
“It’s bold, disruptive and deeply aligned with Airwallex’s mission to power global ambition and build the future of finance with innovative partners like McLaren Racing.”
Pushing the limits of scale with oOh!media
oOh!media Chief Revenue Officer, Mark Fairhurst, said the takeover demonstrates the reach and creative flexibility of modern OOH.
“This campaign shows what’s possible when creativity meets scale. We’re thrilled to amplify Airwallex’s message and deliver an Out of Home experience that owns the moment and marks an unmissable chapter in sporting history,” Fairhurst said.
The takeover builds on Airwallex’s broader brand refresh and its Future of Finance campaign, the company’s largest-ever brand push, focused on redefining how businesses engage with modern financial infrastructure.
The synchronised takeover positions Airwallex squarely in the tier of global brands that leverage sport to build mass cultural presence, but in a distinctly localised way.
It also signals the rising ambition of Australian-founded companies in using OOH not just as reach media, but as a canvas for national storytelling.