It is 1984 when a young Ayrton Senna enters the Toleman factory in Witney, Oxfordshire. Illuminated by the light coming in through the large latticed windows, the TG184 sits in all its glory on the second floor of the workshop, surrounded by the mechanics who have just finished assembling it. It is small, compact-as was the custom for cars of the time, has a curious biplane wing, and mounts an aggressive and innovative turbocharged engine, an extraordinary step forward for the time. On the wings, nose and sides, painted with the charm that only paint can give, stand the big brands of the sponsors of that season: Candy, Segafredo, Sergio Tacchini, Magirus. It is white, blue, red. Beautiful. It’s a scene from the popular Netflix series “Senna,” which quickly went to the top10 in numerous countries around the world and which has not failed, among detractors and fans alike, to make plenty of talk. The “pause” button on the player gives us a still image that is as wonderful as it is a harbinger of important considerations. The first of which is this: while it is true that the automobile in the series is more than 40 years old, the exposure it is generating for thisi brand is alive, well, and standing before the eyes of millions of viewers.

Visibility in the here and now and multidimensional sponsorship

Many times in these pages we have talked about visibility, brand exposure and brand awareness. All important topics that we have often contrasted-or rather, juxtaposed-with the world of activations. It is precisely from these two sides that our concept of “iceberg sponsorship” was born, in which the outermost part of visibility, the part you can see with the naked eye, is actually underpinned by a much wider world of activations far removed from brand exposure but fundamental to the life of the project itself. All of these issues continue as mentioned to be central, but they must be relativized today. When we talk about visibility, exposure we talk about it in the “here and now,” neglecting an aspect that is becoming increasingly central, namely that of the multidimensionality of sponsorship. It is important today to start looking at sponsorship as a tool that has an important dimension over time. Sure, there is the current season and the spectators who see the race here and now, but what happens when our brand ends up in a photo that will become historical, in a documentary that will enter fans’ bookshelves or in a film or television series? And again: what happens if our brand enters the graphics of a video game, if it is displayed on a model that becomes collectible? Basically, what happens when the sponsor manages to break the time barrier and go beyond the sponsorship contract itself?

The propeller effect in sponsorship: moving forward by creating value

We define “propeller effect” as that dynamic that is triggered when the popularity of the sponsored sport or object generates a movement that pushes forward the value of the sponsorship by exceeding its natural contractual duration. The case of Segafredo or Candy with Ayrton Senna’s car exposed in the opening of this article is fitting, although it is obviously not the only one. What are the elements that characterize this “propeller effect”?

• The popularity of the sport and sports property being sponsored along a time frame
• The exceptional nature of the results, on or off the field, achieved by the sports property
• A modern and robust media ecosystem
• The creation of new value for the sponsor

Popularity and results are the fuel of the propeller, the one that keeps it moving along the time frame. It is intuitive: these are the very reasons why sufficient future attention is generated for the media system to kick in.

The changing media, the changing sport, the changing sponsorship

When Ayrton climbs into the 1984 Toleman, the landscape of sports and sports marketing is profoundly different. The world itself is profoundly different, and the roaring dominance of the media has not yet made itself heard with all its extraordinary din. In short, no one thinks that that car will end up on a documentary, and then on a movie, and then it will go around the world and end up 40 years later still center stage, becoming a legend. The Internet, Pay per View, on-demand systems, the globalization of the media market, and the process of cultural consolidation are fairly recent issues in terms of time, but they have revolutionized our lives in a way that is unprecedented. It seems unbelievable, but this very powerful media giant that takes on more and more power, does not even possess 30 years. Docu-series, video games, podcasts and dedicated channels have transformed sports in depth in the first place because they have been able to dilute the time dimension of the sports experience. They have essentially lengthened the point of contact between the viewer and the sports content, radically transforming what is the experience itself with the sports product-and consequently with brands. The extraordinary abundance of media and cultural products, and their increasing number, only increases the helix effect and consequently the “new” value the sponsor gets.

Difference between “long tail” and “propeller effect”

It is important to emphasize here that this “helix effect” is different from the simple long tail of sponsorship. The latter is a psychological effect of the goodness of sponsorship and its positive role on our cognitive and emotional apparatus. When I, a Manchester United fan, think of the Red Devils’ winning years, I am reminded, for example, of the SHARP brand that used to stand out on the Red Devils’ uniforms. Similarly, when I think of the battles of Valentino Rossi or Max Biaggi, it is the Gauloises or Camel brands that come to mind. However, although certainly these sponsoring brands are happy to have a similar positioning on me as a consumer, this positive memory and remembrance is generating real but not measurable value for the brand On the contrary, the propeller effect is very pragmatic, concrete, measurable, as it is a new exposure of the brand to a broad, cross-sectional audience that is again subjected to the whole positive process of sponsorship. While it is true that the car in the “Senna” series is only a simulacrum, the effect it has on the viewer/consumer is absolutely true, and indeed, very powerful. It is no coincidence, in short, that Air Jordan 1 sales experienced a major boost after the release of “The Last Dance,” the Netflix series about Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls dynasty, or that Mars still capitalizes on the countless memorabilia of Maradona in a Napoli jersey.

A good sponsorship is forever

Is this “propeller effect” predictable? Partially yes, although as we saw in one of the previous paragraphs the character of exceptionality is a prerequisite. While it is true that in any case good sponsorship is forever, it is not enough simply to sponsor the strongest team or athlete while waiting for them to win the championship. Winning always helps, it is true, but it is often the stories of the underdogs, of the great triumphs from below, that are passed on with more warmth and enthusiasm. One cannot lie: luck, the ability to see emerging talent, knowledge of the discipline are essential ingredients. Going back to Senna, no one could perhaps have predicted that the talented Brazilian would become the greatest driver of all time, but those who followed his exploits since Formula Ford were certain they were watching something absolutely extraordinary. What is certain is that in a world like today’s, where sports occupy a prominent role in an ever-growing media agenda and communications ecosystem, the opportunities for this to happen are constantly increasing, and this is something that sponsors, agencies and sports properties can no longer ignore. And indeed, it should be put to good use today.