This article about a talk by Sharp Sharp Sharp’s Director Steve and Tim Collins of The Brand Director is reproduced with permission from the Substack of Sports Creative Network, who hosted the talk online.
How do you turn a sporting legacy into a modern brand? Our latest session explored the James Hunt brand and its appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans.
How do you bring a sporting legend back into the cultural conversation without losing what made them iconic in the first place?
That was the central question behind our latest Sports Creative Network guest speaker session, featuring Steve McInerny and Tim Collins, who shared insights into the branding, licensing, and documentary project surrounding Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt.
Working alongside Hunt’s sons, the team set out to explore new commercial opportunities around his legacy. Their ambitions included securing a partnership with McLaren and producing a documentary that would tell a much broader story than simply his famous 1976 World Championship victory.
The result offers some valuable lessons for anyone working in sports branding, creative strategy, licensing and storytelling.
1) Start With The Personality, Not The Product
One of the strongest foundations of the James Hunt project was the decision to build the brand around his personality.
Hunt was positioned as the ultimate rebel: charismatic, unconventional and unapologetically himself. Rather than starting with the obvious visual cues of Formula 1, the team explored what made him distinctive as a person.
The brand purpose was defined as “inject excitement into the everyday”, with Steve McQueen used as a reference point for the intersection of rebellion, motorsport, and popular culture.
This informed the visual identity, drawing inspiration from Hunt’s racing helmet, school colours, initials, and even his blood type.
The takeaway: The strongest sports brands go beyond logos and sporting achievements. They capture the personality, attitude and cultural relevance of the individual behind them.
2) One Brand Doesn’t Have To Mean One Audience
A particularly interesting challenge was balancing two very different audiences.
On one side were traditional Formula 1 fans: an older, predominantly male audience with an appreciation for motorsport heritage, racing history and authenticity.
On the other was a younger generation influenced by Drive to Survive, where driver personalities, fashion and lifestyle can be just as important as what happens on the track.
The creative strategy needed to speak to both.
Product concepts reflected this balance, with bolder graphics aimed at younger fans and more classic styling, including Harrington jackets and heritage-inspired details, for an older audience.
The important lesson was that trying to make one design appeal to everyone rarely works.
The takeaway: Understand who you’re speaking to. A strong brand identity can remain consistent while its creative expression adapts to different audiences.
3) Think Beyond Merchandise: Build A Cultural Brand
The project demonstrated how a sporting legacy can translate into opportunities well beyond traditional merchandise.
The team shared examples of commercial partnerships and products, including a McLaren and Puma collaboration, a collection with Racing Spirit, Funko figures, replica helmets, wall art, and a retail collaboration at Goodwood.
There were also more unexpected product concepts, including an oil-can-inspired gin bottle and a denim-sleeved hip flask.
These ideas demonstrate the potential of taking the distinctive characteristics of an individual and translating them into products that connect with different aspects of popular culture.
The objective isn’t simply to put a name on a product. It’s to create something that people genuinely want to engage with.
The takeaway: Think about the wider lifestyle, interests and cultural associations surrounding a sporting personality. The commercial opportunities may extend much further than the sport itself.
4) Storytelling Is What Gives A Legacy Depth
Alongside the commercial project, the team spent almost four years developing the documentary We Need to Talk About James.
The film aims to explore Hunt’s life beyond the familiar story of his 1976 championship, bringing together historical perspectives and interviews with people who knew and raced alongside him.
An important part of the process was balancing the family’s involvement with the responsibility to tell an honest and historically accurate story.
This raised an interesting point about working with the legacy of real people: there is a responsibility to represent them fairly, rather than simply creating a version of their story that is commercially convenient.
For sports creatives, this is an important distinction. Nostalgia can attract an audience, but meaningful storytelling gives them a reason to stay.
The takeaway: Don’t just revisit the highlights. Explore the complexity, personality and lesser-known details that make a sporting story worth telling.
5) Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Social Media
One of the most valuable reflections from the discussion came when the conversation turned to the changing demographics of Formula 1.
With younger audiences, particularly women aged 16–26, becoming an increasingly important part of the sport’s fanbase, the team reflected that they could have invested more heavily in social media from the outset.
The discussion highlighted how younger generations increasingly consume sport through social platforms rather than relying solely on traditional broadcasting or attending live events.
This creates a significant opportunity for sporting heritage brands.
There is an opportunity to introduce historic sporting figures to audiences who may never have watched them compete, using short-form content, archival footage, fashion, personality-led storytelling and digital communities.
The takeaway: A great brand needs a great distribution strategy. Knowing your audience also means understanding where they spend their time and how they consume content.
6) Authenticity Matters More Than Nostalgia
Perhaps the biggest lesson from the James Hunt project was the importance of authenticity.
When working with a sporting icon, particularly one with a living family and a complex personal history, there is a responsibility to get the details right.
The team spoke about the importance of preserving the truth of Hunt’s story, rather than overlooking the less straightforward aspects of his life.
This also extends to the creative process. The most successful elements of the brand were those rooted in genuine details of Hunt’s identity and history, rather than generic motorsport imagery.
As sports brands increasingly compete for attention, authenticity can be one of their most valuable assets.
The takeaway: Heritage is powerful, but only when it is grounded in something real.
The Bigger Picture: Making Sporting History Relevant Again
The James Hunt project is an interesting example of how sports branding is evolving.
It brings together traditional licensing and merchandising with documentary storytelling, fashion collaborations and a more contemporary understanding of audience behaviour.
For sports creatives, the opportunity is to look beyond the immediate sporting moment and ask bigger questions:
What makes this athlete or sporting figure culturally relevant?
How can their story connect with audiences who weren’t there the first time around?
What products, partnerships and experiences can bring that story to life?
How can heritage be made relevant without losing its authenticity?
Ultimately, building a brand around a sporting icon isn’t just about celebrating the past. It’s about creating new reasons for people to care about it.
A huge thank you to Steve McInerny and Tim Collins for sharing the thinking, creative process and commercial journey behind the James Hunt project with the Sports Creative Network.
Explore the James Hunt brand and keep an eye out for the documentary, We Need to Talk About James.
Here’s our case study of the James Hunt brand licensing project.
To watch Steve and Tim’s talk, you need to subscribe to Sports Creative Network. Find out how here: sportscreativenetwork.com