The mandate was awarded to Encompass on the basis of a pitch against another agency. Having conducted research and worked on different facets of F1 over the past few months, Encompass has acquired an in-depth knowledge of the sport. This knowledge, in combination with its international liaisons, led to the creation of plans for the activation that won Encompass the account.

Commenting on the association with airtel, Karan Chaudhri, Senior Manager - Client Servicing, Encompass said: "The airtel F1 activation is undoubtedly an exciting project to work on. Having worked with airtel over the past few years and managing some of their key projects like the airtel 3G and brand launch and the airtel soccer night, there is a lot of expectation and responsibility from us for this activation."

The on-ground activation plan was a collaborative effort between the client and the agency, with the objective of finding the most engaging and impactful way of communicating with the customers. The agency's responsibilities include planning the activation, designing the setup and executing the activity.

Speaking about the activity, Chaudhri said: "Since the planning stage, our aim has been to recreate an experience which is closest to the actual F1 experience. To ensure this, we have brought down simulators through which customers can get closest to driving an actual F1 car. A key highlight of the activity is the Batak, which is a machine used by F1 drivers to improve their reflexes. There are different light nodes on the machine which come on randomly and the idea is to hit the maximum number of lights in 30 seconds. It's something different and challenging, yet fun for the customers."

The ultimate gratification of the activation is to win the ‘A' ticket, which will give the winner two grand stand tickets, air travel for two to New Delhi, a two-night stay at a five-star hotel, local conveyance in a luxury car, and an opportunity to meet the grid girls. Four contests are underway to win this ticket. Under the ‘Simulator Challenge', fans get to play the F1 game on the simulator and the person who nationally clocks the best time for a lap is declared the winner. In the ‘Ultimate Race Game', people play the online racing game on the airtel website, and the one with the highest score nationally on the completion of six laps is the winner. Fans can also win the ‘A' ticket by buying airtel start-up kits, dongles, etc. Nationally, one lucky winner will be selected.

Airtel is also running a contest to select three grid girls who will flag off the race. This contest has been divided into different phases, for which the registration and first round of short listing has finished, with 48 girls being selected. The second phase, the reality program shoot, is currently underway, post which, the online voting will commence. People can vote for their favourite grid girl on the airtel website, and one person who was voted for one of the three shortlisted girls will be selected as the winner.

"All the activities and engagements for the activation have been planned keeping the customers in mind and ensuring that everyone in the country can experience this ultimate sporting event in some way or the other," said Chaudhri.