About a year and a half before the inaugural Formula 1 race in Las Vegas, we were hired by the F1 marketing department to create graphics for the racetrack. Initially, the project started as a request for a few versions of a non-branded, modern F1 car rendered in chrome. At the time, we weren’t given much insight into how the images would be used, but we were asked to create multiple versions from various angles. The concept was that the chrome body of the car would reflect the city of Las Vegas and neon colors, as if it were speeding down the Strip.
After several iterations and back-and-forth collaboration with F1, we developed a ”look” and “style” that satisfied them. The renderings featured sparks trailing from the back of the car, motion-blurred wheels to simulate movement, and a simple monochromatic background added in Photoshop, which could be changed or removed depending on how and where F1 decided to use the graphics. The original request was for 12 images. However, once the client saw our work, they asked for more. The project quickly grew first to 25 images, then to 35 renderings featuring different camera angles and effects, such as fisheye distortion, top-down views, side views, and varying levels of motion blur. We also experimented with different chrome color variations.
Originally, we were asked to create the 12 images at 4,000 x 2,400 pixels, but later, F1 requested an increase to 24 images at an enormous 12,000 x 7,200 pixels an unusually high resolution for non-specific marketing images. Even at this stage, we still didn’t fully understand how they would be used. The final job consisted of 35 images, each rendered at an astounding 24,000 x 14,400 pixels. To provide flexibility, we delivered layered Photoshop files with drop shadows, sparks, separate background masks, and other effects. The final PSD files were over a gigabyte each, with the largest reaching 1.375 GB.
A few months before the race, we received another request: to create the official F1 poster using one of our chrome cars. This image included a background of the Vegas Strip and was designed to make it look as if the car was driving along a ribbon of light, soaring over the city.
Seeing Our Work Everywhere
A couple of us at Bowen Studios were lucky enough to attend the first race, excited to see how our work would be used. To our surprise, it was practically everywhere, not just at the track, but all over the city.
The first sign of it came as soon as we landed. Hanging on the side of the airport parking garage was a massive 30’ x 60’ banner reading “Welcome to Las Vegas” featuring our chrome F1 car. Inside the airport, our images were everywhere, on posters, signs, and digital banners. One digital screen even displayed the car at an impressive 30 feet long. Suddenly, the demand for such high-resolution images started to make sense.
As we made our way to the hotel, we saw our renderings on billboards and even posted on the side of a taxi. After dropping off our luggage, we headed straight to the track, where final preparations were underway. There, we saw our work on the sides of every monorail train each print spanning approximately 50 feet long across four connected tram cars. The backs of the grandstands were covered in our renderings, with the largest measuring around 45’ x 150’. Security fencing, trackside barriers, pedestrian bridges, speaker towers, lighting pylons, and digital screens all featured our designs. Even the escalator leading up to the paddock building was wrapped in a giant version of our rendering.
It was overwhelming. Everywhere we turned, there they were many of them printed at massive scales, some exceeding 100 feet in length.
Expanding Beyond the Track
Our work extended beyond just trackside branding. F1 collaborated with major sponsors to create customized versions of the chrome car. Heineken had a green version, Google Chrome had a plain silver version, and T-Mobile had a vibrant pink one. T-Mobile was so pleased with our work that they requested a special phone-sized animation of the chrome car with animated sparks, which would appear every time a T-Mobile customer turned on their phone.
Our renderings also found their way into official F1 merchandise. The chrome F1 car was printed on sweatshirts, T-shirts, and even the barcode tags attached to every item. F1 even produced a collectible 1/18-scale diecast Formula 1 car, packaged in a box featuring our chrome rendering.
Looking back, this project was far bigger than we ever imagined when we first started. What began as a simple request for a few renderings turned into a defining visual element of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Seeing our work showcased so prominently at such a historic event was an unforgettable experience.
