SECTOR

SPORTS

YEAR

2021

Cover
Cover
Cover

F1

Showcase image
Showcase image
Showcase image

Formula 1 is a sport defined by split seconds. One mistake, one move, one moment, gone forever.
To remind fans that nothing matches the drama of live racing, Sky Sports launched 'It’s Only Live Once' a high-energy campaign celebrating the thrill and urgency of seeing F1 as it happens.

The creative idea flips the well-known phrase 'you only live once' into a rallying cry for real-time viewing. Through cinematic visuals, dynamic editing, and visceral sound design, the work captures the electricity of a race that can’t be rewound.

The campaign rolled out across broadcast, OOH, digital, and social channels, uniting all platforms under one bold message: if you’re not watching it live, you’re missing the moment.

Formula 1 is a sport defined by split seconds. One mistake, one move, one moment, gone forever.
To remind fans that nothing matches the drama of live racing, Sky Sports launched 'It’s Only Live Once' a high-energy campaign celebrating the thrill and urgency of seeing F1 as it happens.

The creative idea flips the well-known phrase 'you only live once' into a rallying cry for real-time viewing. Through cinematic visuals, dynamic editing, and visceral sound design, the work captures the electricity of a race that can’t be rewound.

The campaign rolled out across broadcast, OOH, digital, and social channels, uniting all platforms under one bold message: if you’re not watching it live, you’re missing the moment.

challenge.

Originally planned as a live-action shoot at iconic racetracks, production was halted by the pandemic.
The creative and production teams needed to pivot quickly while keeping the energy and realism of the sport intact.

Key challenges:

  • Re-creating Formula 1’s authenticity without any physical filming.

  • Maintaining the live-moment intensity through a fully digital approach.

  • Translating the campaign message across very different platforms — from broadcast TV to gaming environments like Twitch without losing consistency or emotional impact.

The solution was to build the world entirely in VFX, capturing the precision, speed, and atmosphere of Formula 1 in a way that felt more visceral than live footage could.



The final film achieved a cinematic realism that matched and arguably surpassed what could have been shot on track. The stripped-down composition and visual pacing delivered the “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” thrill that defines live sport.

The campaign successfully:

  • Reinforced Sky Sports and F1’s shared positioning as the home of live moments.

  • Reached and resonated with digital-first audiences through adaptive creative for YouTube and Twitch.

  • Became a standout case study for creativity under production constraints — turning necessity into innovation.


Sky Creative Agency is now responsible for all of Sky’s advertising output and it’s work like this that really highlights why that’s the case

Simon Buglione

MD Brand and Creative