Robbie Thain
Founder, CEO
AI-generated illustrative image. Not an official campaign image.
See how the STING Formula 1 campaign in Malaysia bridged physical on-ground experiences with limited-edition retail packaging to connect events to shelves.
In September 2026, STING launched the “GET. SET. STINGGG” Formula 1 campaign across Malaysia and Singapore. STING, PepsiCo’s energy-drink brand, built this initiative around the creative observation that “F1 sounds like STINGGG.” This concept connects the sound and emotional intensity of a Formula 1 race with the brand’s name and energy-drink positioning. The campaign spans digital content, retail presence and physical consumer activations.
By bridging live engagement with retail products, it serves as a clear example of connecting a global sponsorship to a local consumer experience. The execution demonstrates how physical events can drive momentum for consumer packaged goods companies.
The activation was timed around the 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix and the 2026 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the main physical execution was "STING CIRCUIT." This on-ground experience took place across two locations in Peninsular Malaysia. The events featured race-themed activities and branded merchandise that consumers could take home.
To bridge the physical event with the buying environment, the campaign moved into retail channels. It introduced limited-edition Formula 1 packaging for STING’s Berry Blast and Gold Rush variants. These special packs were made available nationwide across retail channels while stocks lasted. This retail strategy extends the lifespan of the campaign far beyond the temporary footprint of the physical circuit.
THE SHOUT GROUP handled the campaign’s digital strategy, content creation and event planning. Dex Ventures served as the dedicated event agency for the program.
We specialize in creating retail demos, product sampling programs and roadshows that bring brands face to face with their audiences. Each program is designed to drive trial, build consumer relationships and accelerate retail velocity across multiple locations. From our operational perspective, connecting physical activations directly to a retail asset is a non-negotiable step. A standalone event generates noise, but linking that experience to the shelf generates actual momentum.
STING established a direct path from a high-energy interaction to a tangible retail product. Marketers face intense pressure to prove event Return on Investment through qualified pipeline rather than just vanity metrics. By pairing race-themed physical activities with matching product packs, the brand creates a continuous loop. The physical experience builds the initial participation and product awareness.
The limited-edition packaging then serves as a recognizable marker in the actual purchase environment. This connection prevents the sponsorship from becoming an isolated awareness exercise disconnected from shopper behavior. When you are connecting physical shopper engagement to retail shelves, the consumer needs a reason to look for the product after they leave the footprint. The packaging gives them that exact visual cue.
Linking an on-ground experience to a nationwide retail rollout completely changes the logistics of field marketing. The moment a brand promises limited-edition retail items, execution becomes heavily dependent on supply chain performance. Field teams must audit retailer compliance, verify shelf placement and ensure that the store matches the street. If the product is out of stock, the entire physical activation loses its commercial endpoint.
Availability "while stocks last" creates urgency for the shopper but intense pressure for the operator. Staffing ratios, inventory depth and display standards all have to align perfectly before the event begins. If the physical activation generates traffic but the local retailers lack the designated inventory, the campaign drops the baton. Every local market requires strict coordination between the event team and the merchandising personnel.
We designed and managed a 40 by 20 foot trade show environment for Glanbia at Natural Products Expo West 2025. This activation brought think!, Isopure, Optimum Nutrition and Amazing Grass into one coordinated space. We handled concept, operations, staffing and breakdown. During the event, we recorded more than 14,000 product samples distributed across the activation stations.
We design mobile activations and roadshows that accelerate consumer trial, build trust and boost retail velocity during 90-day product launch windows. Our structured approach transforms initial product trial into sustained consumer confidence and retail performance. Applying this framework to a sponsorship activation means building out the measurement infrastructure before the first piece of merchandise is handed out.
Brands must evaluate these campaigns through strict performance metrics. The public coverage of the STING campaign describes the operational execution but does not provide campaign-specific figures for attendance, retail sales lift, conversion or Return on Investment. Without independent assessments, brands must rely on their own internal measurement systems.
Syahriza Badron, managing director of THE SHOUT GROUP, explained the strategic balance required for this execution. Badron said the agency’s challenge was to make the campaign locally relevant while preserving what made the broader platform distinctive. STING became Formula 1’s official energy drink in May 2025 as part of PepsiCo’s wider partnership with Formula 1. Marketing-Interactive reported that this broader partnership includes Gatorade and Doritos and is scheduled to run through 2030.
Translating that massive global property into a local physical experience requires careful adaptation. A global brand provides instant recognition, but the execution must feel native to the local audience. STING CIRCUIT achieved this by providing take-home merchandise and highly specific regional event locations. It localized the global speed and excitement into a format that Malaysian consumers could touch and interact with firsthand.
The STING CIRCUIT activation placed fans inside a high-energy race environment before directing them to find matching packs on local shelves. It turned a distant global sponsorship into a physical object that consumers could actually purchase. Will your next experiential campaign give attendees a clear path to the register, or will it leave them empty-handed at the exit?
After marketing teams commit to connecting an experiential campaign to retail packaging, executing those physical interactions without losing consumer focus becomes the immediate priority. To solve the problem of scattered attention and poor booth flow, Makai builds structured street activations that convert passing traffic into engaged buyers. With our Guerilla Marketing capability, Makai launches creative street level ideas that surprise, delight and generate authentic word of mouth. Request a proposal
30 Years Experiential & Retail Activation Partner for CPG & Beverage Brands | Multi-Market Demos, Roadshows & Costco/Club Programs That Actually Sell
