Unlimited Racing Team

Pre-season

Motorsports, especially boat racing, has a short season and limited opportunities to showcase sponsorship brands in front of audiences-so any concept developed must be attention-grabbing. When URG had a sudden change of sponsor less than 5 weeks before the start of the 2025 season, my goal as Director of Marketing had to encompass all areas of promotion and recognition for URG as well as our new sponsor. Rebranding URG from Mercurys Coffee to FLAV-R-PAC® required not just a change in colors, but a shift in how to pair fast, unpredictable, noisy boats with a family-owned vegetable processing company. The only direct relationship between the two when we began?  They are both based in WA state!

General colors and paint scheme need to inspire the idea of speed and success, and also carry the sponsor’s brand through in as many ways as possible.  Mocking up the paint job for the boat and truck/trailer combo takes priority since those are hallmarks of our team. Once those are determined, I then apply that style across social media outlets, apparel and caps, as well as autograph cards and giveaways such as key chains, mugs, and stickers. Consistent messaging is key.  Working within the constraints of the sponsor’s requests while still fulfilling the goals of the race team itself requires a delicate balance of give and take, lots of collaboration, and sometimes being able to envision what someone’s words are saying.

Beginning with a plain white boat works best (see the TEAM REBRAND here for specs). First, using Photoshop, I build the basic shapes, coloring them in Illustrator with ​FLAV-R-PAC®'s colors. Next the shapes are warped to fit onto the boat. Once everyone approves the look-it's off to the printer for vinyl decals, and paint is applied to the boat. Graphics will be applied before season’s start.  Knowledge of how paint and vinyl work allows me to guide our team to best choices for both longevity and ease of application.

The truck is handled the same way as the boat. Start white, build the graphics in Photoshop and Illustrator, then warp them to make sure the graphics are shaped correctly. Typically, the truck is vinyl-wrapped as it is quicker than painting.

The boat and truck in Tri-Cities, Washington for testing less than a month later showing off our new sponsor!

Driver’s suit, helmet and the crew uniforms are next to be painted in Photoshop and Illustrator, then sent for approvals from the sponsor and URG management. Once approved, graphics are sent to the production team for completion.

In Photoshop I modified the driver's suit from 2024 (red) into FLAV-R-PAC® branding (blue) for 2025.

Illustrating the boat to be used for 2-dimensional products is next in line. Marketing giveaways and hero cards are the best way to get our sponsor’s message out to both new and long-time fans.  Stickers, key chains, patches, and mugs are used to generate interest and excitement in the Miss FLAV-R-PAC®!

Apparel is an important part of our marketing strategy. From T-shirts to ball caps, staying on top of the newest fashion fads is as important as design ideas because fans know what is influencer-inspired, and want that delivered-even at motorsports events!

Autograph Cards

Illustration used on the front of autograph card in 2025 for a different look and feel from 2024.