--- title: "Halo Device Lands McLaren-Renault a Hilarious Flip-Flop Sponsorship" description: "McLaren's genius marketing team is fully embracing and monetizing the Halo's peculiar design." date: "2018-03-17" modified: "2018-03-17" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19319/halo-device-lands-mclaren-renault-a-hilarious-flip-flop-sponsorship" categories: - "News" tags: - "Australian Grand Prix" - "Fernando Alonso" - "Formula 1" - "mclaren" - "McLaren-Renault" - "racing" - "Racing News" --- # Halo Device Lands McLaren-Renault a Hilarious Flip-Flop Sponsorship ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* [McLaren-Renault]() is saying "the joke is on you" to folks around the world who made fun of its Halo design by signing Gandys, a British lifestyle clothing brand as "Halo sponsor" for the upcoming Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The outspoken world of social media burst with memes when the initial designs for F1's [Halo safety device]() were launched into the limelight. As we all know by now, the final design of the Halo didn't really change much over the winter with all of the teams' designs looking much like, well, a flip-flop. https://twitter.com/\_/status/974620540622262272 In an effort to bring in some much-needed sponsorship dollars and generate positive news, McLaren-Renault announced that Gandys will become the first brand to take advantage of the unique shape of the new-for-2018 [safety structure](). The brand is well-known for its charitable efforts across the globe, especially in Southeast Asia, where the company founders' parents perished during a tsunami in 2004. “We’re delighted to the team at Gandys join us for the [Australian Grand Prix](). 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," said John Allert, McLaren Chief Marketing Officer. ![message-editor%2F1521261763417-flip\_flops\_2.jpg]() *Gandys flip-flops for McLaren., *McLaren** McLaren-Renault will sport the Gandys logo on both of its cars over the three-day racing weekend, while the clothing company will launch a limited-run "Halo-edition" flip-flop with 100 percent of all profits being donated to the Orphans For Orphans Foundation. “Collaborating with Gandys on a limited-edition co-branded product was also a meaningful step for us. By giving 100 percent of all profits to the Orphans For Orphans charity, [McLaren]() is also able to help a very deserving good cause," said Allert. ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()