McLaren has teamed up with British lifestyle brand Gandys for next week’s Australian Grand Prix, which will see the brand's logo adorn the MCL33's Halo for the season-opener.
The company, started by two brothers who lost their parents in the 2004 Tsunami, began selling adventure clothing to raise funds for orphans and eventually opened the first Orphans For Orphans foundation kid’s campus in Sri Lanka in 2014.
The deal holds some humour though, as many initially compared the halo head protection device to a flip-flop, due to its three-prong design, and the first item designed and sold by Gandys in 2012 was a flip-flop.
The two companies will team-up and sell a limited-run ‘halo-edition’ flip-flop, with 100 per cent of all profits going directly to the Orphans For Orphans foundation.
"We’re delighted to have Rob, Paul and the team at Gandys join us for the Australian Grand Prix," commented John Allert, McLaren chief marketing officer.
"The placement of the logo, on the MCL33’s Halo, was not only perfect from a branding perspective, but also a great opportunity to underline Gandys’ charitable commitment to providing a safer, more protective environment for those at risk.
Gandys co-founder Rob Forkan added: "We were absolutely thrilled when McLaren came to us with this idea. When the brand was created, Paul was living in Melbourne, and I went out to surprise him on his birthday to tell him about the idea for Gandys. After managing to persuade him to return to the UK and start the brand, it’s really exciting to be going back. In fact, it will be the first time we’ve return to Melbourne, so it’s great to feel we have come full circle!
"On a personal note, as huge fans of Formula 1 and McLaren, this was an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. We can’t wait to see Fernando, Stoffel and the whole team in action in Melbourne next weekend."
