Formula 1 x Selfridges: F1 75 Years in Motion Pop-Up at the Corner Shop

In June 2025, Selfridges London hosted a dedicated Formula 1 activation in its Corner Shop space titled “F1: 75 Years in Motion.” The event ran from 23 June to 6 July and was designed to coincide with the upcoming British Grand Prix and the release momentum surrounding F1: The Movie starring Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton. The timing was intentional, aligning motorsport culture with fashion, media, and entertainment audiences.

The Corner Shop, located at the main entrance of Selfridges’ Oxford Street flagship, was transformed into a visually immersive environment. At its centre was a vintage Lotus Formula 1 car, positioned to anchor the space in authentic motorsport heritage. The installation aimed to create a hybrid between an archive, a store, and a cultural exhibit. The interior design incorporated pit-lane aesthetics and display fixtures referencing automotive materials.

The merchandise mix combined licensed F1 pieces, archive collectibles, new collaborations, and curated fashion edits. These included rare vintage racing jackets from historical teams such as Benetton and Ferrari, dated from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. TAG Heuer vintage watches and racing memorabilia from previous decades were displayed and made available for purchase. The Corner Shop also featured exclusive F1 75-branded apparel alongside a capsule collection in collaboration with Peanuts, where characters like Snoopy were reimagined in racing gear. All items were produced in limited quantities, some exclusive to Selfridges.

The activation included historic photographic prints, branded books, small collectables, and F1-branded accessories. The experience was fully commercial but curated with clear attention to display logic, archival value, and collectability. It was designed to attract existing fans, fashion-conscious consumers, and culture-driven visitors, with no requirement for deep motorsport knowledge. This aligns with broader industry trends where sports properties use retail and fashion to extend cultural reach.

The collaboration was driven by Formula 1’s internal brand team alongside Selfridges’ buying and experiential teams. Emily Prazer, F1’s Chief Commercial Officer, described the space as a way to “curate and communicate the fashion legacy of F1,” positioning the sport not only as entertainment but as an aesthetic system. Judd Crane, Executive Buying Director at Selfridges, confirmed the project was about offering access and atmosphere, not just product.

The pop-up lasted for two weeks. No restocks were announced, and the environment was intentionally short-lived to reflect the tempo of the racing season.

Strategic Notes

• Formula 1 used the retail environment to reposition itself from a sports property to a cultural brand. This involved treating racing not just as performance but as a design system with heritage, collectability, and visual identity.
• The activation operated as a controlled test of physical product appetite beyond racetrack venues. By leveraging Selfridges’ Corner Shop model, F1 was able to pilot lifestyle and heritage merchandise with zero long-term retail risk.
• The short duration, limited availability, and vintage inventory modelled the logic of cultural scarcity. F1 applied the same scarcity principles that drive collector markets to physical retail, which served to elevate the perception of value.
• The physical installation was built for media amplification. The inclusion of a classic race car, recognisable branding, and exclusive products ensured the experience would be visually replicated across social platforms and fashion media.

This activation demonstrates that global entertainment properties can achieve cultural presence without investing in standalone retail. Instead, short-term, high-impact collaborations with existing retail leaders can offer the same results with greater flexibility.

All images © Elluminate Me