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Singapore's Grand Prix is less a race than a tremendous branding opportunity. Katherine Ryder reports from the track ...

Special to MORE INTELLIGENT LIFE

"We can reinvent ourselves in just the same way Singapore has," announced Magnus Bocker, the head of the Singapore Exchange, at a conference days before the Singapore Grand Prix. He was talking to a room full of executives, pitching the benefits of adorning Formula One cars with a corporate logo. If a company was still struggling in the wake of the financial crisis, he argued, this was their opportunity to create a new image.

Singapore's Grand Prix, which took place from September 24th through the 26th, was many things: a medley of car races, a spectacle, a concert and a boon for local tourism. But it was perhaps most profoundly a branding platform. Of the 19 races on the Formula One Grand Prix schedule this year, more chief executives came to Singapore's race than any other event. For businesses looking to expand in Asia, Singapore's Grand Prix was a perfect place to network and schmooze. Advertising was ubiquitous, as the race's jet-setting clientele constitute a target demographic. Yet besides pushing products, these many logos sold something larger: the story of the Singapore Miracle, whereby the business-friendly policies of a tropical city-state have enabled it to become an important player on the global economic stage.

True to the tenor of a place known for its good, easy living, everything at this year's race was, in a word, smooth. The racetrack was woven among a smattering of five-star hotels, so spectators never had to travel far. It was virtually impossible to get lost—a sign or a policeman would inevitably pop up to set you straight. The thousands of security guards checking hundreds of thousands of handbags somehow didn't create much of a hold-up. Basically everywhere you turned a big-name brand was hosting a big-name party, and all of it went as planned. An artsy acrobatic show before the race even seemed effortless, despite the women in Marie-Antoinette-style dresses floating through the air.

What of the race? Large flat-screen televisions mounted around the track anchored the crowd's attention—and helped give a modicum of context to the blur of automobiles flying by. Engines were bracingly loud, and the sensation of speed was palpable. One could almost feel the thrill of driving fast. Despite the sparks that occasionally burst like a trail of orange glitter behind some cars, none exploded. Attaching a Red Bull logo to such excitement is everything. "F1 is fantastic at delivering messages to an audience," said Zak Brown, the boss of JMI, a marketing agency.

In the Paddock Club, where Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a celebrity chef, served the Formula One elite, branding success stories drove conversations. The F1 made Johnnie Walker a more popular drink in Asia. Shell and Ferrari now make commercials together. Hilton now uses McLaren products in its hotels. Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's billionaire promoter, played matchmaker in his signature tinted glasses.

Mariah Carey headlined the post-race concert. She took her time coming on stage. "I bet she's sitting in the back, drinking her Johnnie Walker and Red Bull, talking on her SingTel," cracked one concert-goer, referring to the race's most visible sponsors. More likely she was giving the crowd a chance to digest the F1 commercials on the two large screens on either side of the stage. When Ms Carey finally emerged, the crowd screamed with pleasure. "My shoes are killing me," she giggled, before revealing the brand to be Alaia. She also thanked Singapore for providing her a good, plush "fainting couch," suitable for "a diva".

Ms Carey didn't faint, but she did fall once during her performance, prompting an assistant to remove her shoes mid-song. This was perhaps the only branding snafu of the entire event.

(Katherine Ryder is a writer based in Singapore.)

Picture credit: beggs (via Flickr)