What Lessons From Fast & Furious Can We Apply to Marketing?

We're going to explore the marketing lessons that we can learn from the Fast and Furious movie franchise, because when your brain works as ours do, you can no longer watch good TV without relating everything back to campaigns, ideas, creative and strategies.

~I’d like to preface that from here on out, when I mention ‘F&F,’ I am in fact not talking about Tesco-own clothing brand F&F, I’m talking about racing-car-action movie franchise Fast & Furious. So, now that that’s cleared up, let’s dive in~

Pick a Lane

F&F is about car-culture, street racing, mods and mechanics – at least it was in the beginning. It doesn’t waste time trying to appeal to everyone. This is a film about cars, racing cars, tuning cars, and crashing cars. Find your niche to be able to speak directly to your people; it's frankly the only way you are going to achieve your goals. In fact, Dom Toretto himself says “You can have any brew [beer for the Brits] you want… as long as it’s a Corona.” which, and I’m channelling my inner English teacher here by overanalysing the crap out of one line, is a really great example of dominating your niche by showing your consumers that you are the only option, or at least the best option.

Build the Crew, Sell the Dream

Creating a lifestyle and not just a product is one of the more important lessons to take away from this franchise. Even non-car people jumped on the hype of this, imagining themselves cruising down the highway in Suki’s pink Honda S2000 (or was that just me?)
I’m not looking to contradict my first point here, as retaining that powerfully niche audience is still the key to generating revenue and hitting those engagement goals, but creating a lifestyle that sells to more than just your one audience is a masterful play in the world of marketing. To not just race, but to live is to Fast & Furious as to not just make calls, but make memories is to Apple – it’s the use-case, the lifestyle, and the experience that a consumer can take from your brand persona that means everything.

Living One Quarter Mile at a Time

Staying on top of your quarterly reviews and brand analysis or ‘living one quarter mile at a time’ is essential to keep generating content that your target audience loves to see. If you’re stuck, your content isn’t performing well, or you just feel way out of your depth just remember, constraints fuel creativity. Use your limits to build something authentic and distinct - or stay completely transparent with your audience and turn to them; ask them what they want to see from you! Use polls, stories, questions, livestreams and more to find out what makes them tick, what they already come to you for, and what they wish they saw more of. One thing that’s rising above all else on social media is honesty and the humanisation of brands. Personality is priceless.

Perfect Your Build & Lock in the Lineup

Very early on in F&F it is made clear that cars + family + adrenaline = living. Despite the let’s say, interesting, turn the more recent films have taken (yes, I’m talking about the one where they go to space), that one combination has stayed true and is in the very DNA of the franchise. Define your values right at the start, and as you grow; innovate - but always tie back to that core messaging that drew in your ride or die customers.

Speaking of loyal customers, don’t dismiss those who have been there since the start. You can continue to grow and cultivate a larger audience, but don’t neglect your family who have stuck with you since day one. You owe a lot of your success to the people who were there during the awkward phase. Before you found your rhythm, they were with you in the trenches. No matter how successful you become online, it would all be gone if it weren’t for the people who support your platforms – and people buy on this emotion, too. I’m not saying manipulate your way to the top by incorporating empathy into a strategy, but don’t forget to show your love and appreciation, as even in action-heavy brands – your story needs heart. People buy on emotion first, logic second.

Make It Look Fast Standing Still

Neon lights, muscle cars, tight tops, and engine roars – F&F has a distinct vibe and luminous palette. Suki’s hot pink Honda, Brian’s bright green Mitsubishi, and Dom’s black Dodge Charger all stand out as consistent, strong visuals that create instant brand recognition. Don’t just hint about your vibe through your words – show it off! With cool, branded graphics and photography, you’ll find yourself emigrating to the explore page, doubling your reach, and expanding your empire through your aesthetic. It’s not about telling people it’s cool. They should see it and know.

So, those are some definitely-not-a-reach marketing lessons that we can take from the Fast & Furious franchise. With Vin Diesel, vibes, and value propositions, you can ramp up your marketing to 100mph. Of course, throw us into the mix and it’s like adding a NOS tank.
Don’t forget we offer a full package, that’s a full brand audit, web design and development, social media strategies, content optimisation and paid marketing, graphic design and visual architecture, 3D design, and bespoke print (can you say that five times fast?)

Get in touch with us today for a free quote and build up your brand the right way – fast, furious, and full-throttle.