Racing is still a growing sport online. And the evolution in racing simulators has pushed the experience very close to the real thing.

So when our TV audience was dropping, we simply changed the channel.

We used the open API of the iRacing platform to create a fully branded, customized online game and hosted the Mobil 1 Virtual Showdown with three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.

We pitted Stewart against the best gamers around in an exciting, high-speed simulation of the Pennsylvania 400 race and reached an all-new audience through streaming live on gaming platform Twitch.

Across Mobil 1 agency teams, the fully customized and branded event began with advance earned media outreach, real-time social content, paid social and digital executions. Beforehand, we secured a media exclusive with NBC that drove wide earned media coverage.

We invited iRacing’s best drivers to face three-time NASCAR championTony Stewart head-to-head in an unprecedented exhibition race, live-streamed on Twitch, Mobil 1 and iRacing. Each digital car offered replica “triple threat” Mobil 1 paint schemes – the same look fans would see in real-life on race weekend.

During the eRace, we enlisted prefessional race announcers for live commentary and additional Mobil 1 content. For at-track media, we created a live-viewing experience of the virtual showdown at Pennsylvania 400 Pocono track, incorporating a high-end “Sim Craft” rig that vibrated and responded to Stewart’s driving.

Post-race, we offered key media a video summary and one-on-one interviews in which Stewart shared his gaming experience.

We added an audience of 600,000 to the Pennsylvania 400 event. By the end of 2016, the number of casual NASCAR fans identifying Mobil 1 as the “Official Motor Oil” hit a three-year high, up 36% since 2014. Noteworthy earned media placements including the Associated Press, NBC, FOX, Digital Trends, Yahoo! and SiriusXM Radio. The team exceeded KPIs, generating more than 700 earned media placements and 201 million earned impressions.

Furthermore, at the end of the 2016 season, the number of casual NASCAR fans who said they are more likely to support an official sponsor by purchasing that official partner’s products reached a three-year high, up more than 30% since 2014.