The sponsorship game in sports has got to be smart, particularly in motorsport. The reason is that NASCAR fans are way too passionate about the aesthetics of the sport. How the car and the driver’s suit look really matters to them, often more than it matters to the drivers themselves.

Sponsors like FedEx have a lot at stake when they put their branding collateral out in the open. If Denny Hamlin drives an impressionable car and looks good in his suit, then half of the battle is already fought. So, fans’ approval of their marketing choices is critical.

Denny Hamlin’s #11 is donning the new FedEx Rewards livery

FedEx has been a sponsor for Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing since 2005. Such a long-term relationship brings along a lot of perks for all the parties involved. And while it usually means big bucks and better infrastructure for the teams, it also carries many marketing possibilities for brands. Everything visible to the fans is an opportunity worth encashing.

FedEx Cares is the corporation’s community engagement program that it uses to stage its responsibility towards society. In NASCAR, the program promotes its Rewards initiative to educate the fans about the benefits of using their FedEx points. And FedEx also likes to keep fans on their toes with penultimate awards like winning a chance to meet Denny Hamlin.

The purple color used by FedEx is meant to portray its legacy of trustworthiness, while the orange with the arrow is for express delivery. These are the same ideals that FedEx likes to convey through its NASCAR branding.

FedEx has had a constant color scheme for three decades now. They must use consistent branding schemes so that people are able to identify with the cause just by looking at it. And the same is reflected in Denny Hamlin’s car scheme for Richmond Raceway this weekend.

There have been numerous iterations of the car scheme across the NASCAR Cup Series seasons. Every new car scheme reveals features, special causes, and motivations. FedEx launched the latest one with a more subtle use of its iconic purple, and fans don’t seem to approve.

Loud and clear is probably the ask when it comes to FedEx

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There have been a lot of comments by Redditers ever since JGR dropped its car reveal posts on social media on August 8. While some fans did appreciate the clean look, others are getting nostalgic because of the lacking extent of color. The #11 car has been adorned with impeccable paint schemes over the years, with bold strokes of purple and orange.

So, looking at the latest concept, one user wrote on Reddit, “Doesn’t get much less creative than that.” Another user simply added, “Thats boring.” NASCAR cars are known to go overboard and just shine from the distance. Remember Chase Elliott’s orange car from Texas?

Fans want their favorite racing cars to pop out of the crowd as they cheer for them from the grandstands. And Denny Hamlin’s FedEx Rewards scheme for this weekend didn’t cut.

This user’s comment was so on point and explicit: “I’ve seen much better FedEx schemes. My favorite color is purple. It think purple, black, and orange go great together. I miss the days where the FedEx car was those colors. I would have became a Denny Hamlin fan after Jr retired if he had kept the purple race car.” This is, evidently, most fans’ expectations.

Lastly, it looks like this X user then summed up the whole debate with, “They put some effort on this one, but I say it looks mediocre. Maybe a little bit of purple, and you got something that people would like.” Fans want what they want. All you’ve got to do is pay heed to them.

But, did you like the new look for the #11 Camry? Or if you are not a Hamlin fan, what is your favorite color scheme of your favorite driver?