The context
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California is the world's most important concours: every August it brings together the rarest collector cars, leading collectors and the marques that made automotive history. Becoming a partner is hard even for a large group. For an independent Italian brand of silk accessories, born from a passion for classic cars, it looked out of reach.
The challenge
Building a relationship with an institution that chooses its partners very carefully, without the sponsorship budget of a major brand. And turning it into a lasting relationship, not a one-year appearance.
What we did
- Values before visibility. Outlierman comes from the same classic-car culture the concours celebrates: the proposal started from this affinity, not from a request for exposure.
- A product, not a logo. Every year a co-branded collection inspired by the marque the concours celebrates, made by Italian artisans. The product becomes a collector's item and content for both brands.
- Continuity. The partnership has been renewed every year since 2016 and reached its tenth consecutive year in 2026, at the 75th edition of the concours.
- A role in the concours. In 2026 Outlierman became style judge and presented the Jules Heumann Most Elegant Open Car Trophy, awarded to the 1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre Vanden Plas Sports Tourer.
- Measured communication. The press release on the partnership renewal was followed with the Media Tracker, to measure pickups, outlets and coverage themes.
The results
- Ten consecutive years of partnership with the world's most prestigious concours d'elegance.
- In 2026, a style judge role and a trophy presented by Outlierman.
- International credibility for a brand that now has customers in more than 50 countries.
- A repeatable model: the same approach led to the licensing deal with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to collaborations with brands such as MINI John Cooper Works and Pagani.
What it shows
A brand partnership lasts when both sides gain value, not just visibility: shared DNA, a common audience and a story worth telling every year. It is the same principle we now apply with MashScore to assess and design our clients' collaborations.
