Race To Save Lives Campaign

Client: The David Riddell Memorial

Race To Save Lives is a partnership created and delivered by Duckhams Yuasa Racing (DYR) in collaboration with The David Riddell Memorial, supported by Duckhams Oil, GS Yuasa and branding agency Absolute.

Recognising 81% of the UK automotive workforce is male and that men account for the majority of UK suicides, DYR used its 2025 motorsport platform to address men’s mental health and suicide prevention. The campaign was built around a simple but powerful message: Every Second Counts, linking split-second racing decisions to the importance of timely mental health intervention.

Rather than treating sponsorship solely as brand visibility, DYR transformed 5 British Touring Car Championship race weekends into live charitable interventions. Mobile pop-up barbershops in fanzone areas were staffed by barbers who were also fully trained mental health practitioners, creating safe, familiar spaces where men could talk openly.

The initiative reached 225,000 attendees trackside, delivered over 300 haircuts and one-to-one conversations, distributed 7,000 support resources, and extended its message to more than 8 million broadcast viewers via ITV.

Delivered through a small £25,000 net campaign investment, the partnership gave The David Riddell Memorial direct access to high-risk, male-dominated audiences rarely reached through traditional charity channels.