On the Road: Jenson Button's appearance at Bluewater for Virgin

by James Quilter , promotionsandincentives.co.uk 20-Oct-09, 16:12

LONDON - From Interlagos, Brazil to Bluewater, Kent. Newly-crowned Formula One world champion Jenson Button was brought in by the Virgin last week to race around the shopping centre in a Mercedes.

The event, which was created by iblinkworld for Virgin Media’s SpeedWeek 50 series, marks the first time a racing circuit has ever been built around a shopping centre. PR was handled by Bray Leino.

The road network around Bluewater was used for the circuit. Shoppers were able to watch Button race around the track from selected viewpoints. The driver later appeared in a Q&A session with the BBC’s David Croft.

Additionally features of the event, which was billed as a celebration of speed, include Scalextrix, Virgin Media ‘gadgets’ such as its branded PVR and the Samsung Jet, the manufacturer’s latest smartphone.