Algarve International Track -
Brand Pole Positioning

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (AIA), also known as Portimão Circuit, has one of the most demanding racing tracks in the world. Many of the innovation of the automotive industry is tested at AIA before reaching the tracks and the roads.

Besides this racing track, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve also concentrates in the same physical space a go-kart track, an off-road park, a hotel, apartments, a business incubator, and other related facilities.

AIA is a one-of-a-kind motorsport player within a very competitive industry. Yet its brand identity system and the communication universe were not keeping up the pace.

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve wanted to present its skills and deliverables, apart from the racing track, to a wide set of targets, from fans to companies, from partners to media, thus increasing its business opportunities and overall awareness.

For this to happen, the brand ecosystem would have to be fully revisited. Within the macro brand challenge, different goals were identified and managed in an integrated and complementary way. Always framed by a unified brand thinking.

AIA Racing School, Go-Kart track, and the Off-Road park were the main products. Apart from these products, AIA’s mix was also evolving, so specific target-based portfolios, such as driving moments for corporate clients or sponsors’ programs, required also an evolution, both graphically and verbally.

Brand identity, graphic universes, naming and brand voice, environment, and digital experience. All were part of the starting grid. The main goal was to provide a strong sense of coherence throughout all brands and products, having in mind their own audiences.

The product brands were all revisited. The logotypes and the visual universe of the Go-kart track - aka Kartódromo - and the Off-road park are now much clearer about the experience they provide.

AIA Racing School - its most prestigious product - was also completely redone. The laurel symbol underlines the premium aspect of the driving experiences offered by the Racing School - driving alongside a true racing car driver was just one of the perks.

The newly introduced corporate target was seen as a high potential one. It needed to become more assertive in terms of delivery. So the brand AIA Corporate Experiences was created, with a specific graphic style and tone of voice.

Each one of the brands has its own color palette, to highlight their individuality, although being part of a family.

As a result of these developments, AIA’s brand architecture is now completely focused on the users’ experience, underlining product characteristics, while keeping a sense of belonging to a wider universe.

In order to make AIA’s portfolio well known, a strategic angle was introduced - given its infrastructures, AIA could present itself as a real motorsports park. And in this case, to underline the essence of each product, AIA could present itself as a theme park.
When we think about the most famous theme parks, they all have different amusements, distinct experiences. It’s all fun, different kinds of fun.
AIA as an advanced motorsports park with a wide range of experiences and infrastructures for varied audiences.

Apart from the products, the AIA brand universe was also redefined. A new graphic style was created, inspired by the track’s unique design. To complement it, a set of pictograms was added, providing clarity to the communication.

A new typographic family was created especially for AIA, reflecting the motorsports essence and a modern take on typeface design.

The brand tone is now more affirmative and bold. A challenging speech, from a challenger brand: Speaking to the drivers of tomorrow. “First. Forward.”, the new tagline, sums it all.

Based on a strategy to maximize the potential of each customer (B2B and B2C), the brand experience was explored in different ways, assuming the online dimension as a key vector. As part of a digital marketing plan, channels and content were revisited.

The overall brand visibility was reworked, to ensure the desired impact. The AIA Racing School infrastructure decoration and the motorsports park signage are good examples of how the brand universe stretched to new experiences and functionalities.

The digital dimension of Autódromo Internacional do Algarve was rebooted, with a new website/online store and a dedicated App, making the purchasing process of race tickets and driving experiences much easier.

With a comprehensive and versatile brand system, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is now clearer about its delivery regarding multiple business targets, relying on a well-defined brand positioning. One of the best indicators of performance are sales results and giving the numbers of tickets sold for the last editions of the Algarve round of FIM World Superbike, we could say that AIA’s recognition is going on the right course. The number of driving experiences, both from individuals and companies, also increased in a very positive manner.