Formula One motor-racing team McLaren has agreed a sponsorship deal with British lifestyle brand Gandys.
The deal will cover next week’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, with Gandys’ branding to feature on both McLaren cars.
Gandys will be the first brand to take advantage of the shape of McLaren’s new 2018 Halo cockpit protection structure, whose appearance has been likened to that of a flip-flop. The Halo is a new safety device being introduced across F1 this season in an effort to provide greater protection to drivers’ heads.
Gandys was founded by brothers Rob and Paul Forkan, who were inspired to start the company after losing both their parents during the tsunami in southeast Asia in December 2004. The brand began with a flip-flop design and has since introduced full menswear and womenswear collections. The success of Gandys also allowed the brothers to open the first Orphans For Orphans foundation campus in Sri Lanka in 2014, before a second campus opened in Malawi last year.
As part of its collaboration with McLaren, Gandys will create a limited-run ‘Halo-edition’ flip-flop, with all profits to go towards the Orphans for Orphans foundation. The flip-flops will be available from gandyslondon.com and all Gandys’ London stores, as well as through mclarenstore.com.
McLaren’s chief marketing officer John Allert said: “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.
“Collaborating with Gandys on a limited-edition co-branded product was also a meaningful step for us. By giving 100 per cent of all profits to the Orphans For Orphans charity, McLaren is also able to help a very deserving good cause.
“Showcasing this partnership in Australia, where we race just a stone’s throw from Melbourne’s beautiful St Kilda beach, just felt like the best possible opportunity for Gandys to showcase its brand and noble cause on the international stage.”