DONUT × GO2Digital: Bringing Drift to the City Screens
For part of our audience, the first encounter with DONUT did not happen at the track or on social media.
It happened on the way to work, while driving through the city or in front of a digital display where, between everyday obligations, a drift car appeared alongside the date and location of our next event.
That was the real value of our partnership with Go2Digital who operates Croatia’s leading digital out-of-home advertising network, comprising more than 500 screens across 52 cities and generating nearly three million impressions per day.
Ahead of DONUT events, our promotional content was displayed across the GO2Digital network. This allowed our communication to move beyond DONUT’s own channels and reach people who may never have followed drift before, but could be interested in experiencing it live.
From social media into the everyday city landscape
Social media remains one of DONUT’s most important communication channels. It is where our audience follows the drivers, cars, results, preparations and everything that happens between two events.
However, this communication primarily reaches people who already follow DONUT or the wider automotive scene.
DOOH advertising opens a completely different space.
Digital displays in high-traffic locations allowed DONUT to reach people who were not actively searching for it, did not yet follow our channels and may not have known that an international drift competition was taking place nearby.
The campaign was therefore not a replacement for our digital communication, but an extension of it. Social media built the story and generated interest, while the GO2Digital network expanded awareness beyond the existing community.
Nine screens, one drift car
A particularly distinctive part of the campaign was created for GO2Digital’s unique display setup near Tvornica kulture in Zagreb.
The location features nine identical digital displays positioned in a continuous row. Instead of treating each display as an individual advertising surface, we used all nine to create one connected animation.
A drift car appeared on the first display, moved onto the next and continued travelling through the entire sequence. Once the car had passed, the key information about the upcoming DONUT event appeared across the displays.
The format allowed us to transfer movement, one of the defining elements of drift, into the advertising space itself.
Rather than simply resizing an existing promotional video, the creative was developed specifically for the layout of this location, using all nine displays as one extended canvas.
The result was a format designed to attract attention before any event information appeared. The car moving from one display to another created a visual moment recognisably connected to DONUT, while the date and location that followed clearly communicated the event being promoted.
A clear message delivered in seconds
Digital out-of-home advertising does not leave much time for explanation.
The audience usually sees the content while moving, which means the message needs to be understood within seconds. The car, event name, date and location all need to work together as one recognisable visual.
DONUT’s campaign visuals and promotional content were therefore adapted to the formats and viewing conditions of digital outdoor displays.
The objective was not to tell the entire story of the event. It was to create a moment of recognition and generate enough interest for the viewer to want to discover more.
Dynamic footage of the cars, smoke, crowds and the identity of each event allowed DONUT to quickly communicate what separates it from a traditional sporting or automotive event.
Reaching beyond the existing automotive audience
The value of the GO2Digital partnership was not measured only by the number of times the promotional content was displayed.
For DONUT to continue growing, it needs to reach beyond the people who already understand and follow drift. No matter how active and connected the existing community may be, the future of the event cannot depend on that audience alone.
Appearing on digital displays alongside campaigns from major national and international brands also helped position DONUT as an established sports and entertainment project.
This level of visibility creates additional value for drivers, teams and partners. At the same time, it shows the public that DONUT is not a closed automotive gathering, but an event for anyone who wants to experience speed, competition and atmosphere live.
A partnership that increased the value of the entire project
A valuable partnership is more than a logo displayed at an event.
Its true value becomes visible when both sides contribute what they do best. DONUT brought the event, the content and the audience it wanted to reach. GO2Digital brought the network, technology and ability to place that story in front of a large audience at the right time.
The custom activation near Tvornica kulture also demonstrated what becomes possible when media space is treated as part of the creative idea, rather than simply as a surface for displaying an advertisement.
This combination allowed the campaign to become part of a wider communication system surrounding each event.
The audience could first encounter DONUT on city screens, learn more through social media and eventually experience it beside the track.
An event begins before the gates open
A race officially begins when the first car enters the track, but the audience’s relationship with an event starts much earlier.
It can begin with a photograph, a teaser video, a recommendation from a friend or a drift car moving across nine screens in the centre of Zagreb.
GO2Digital helped DONUT become part of the everyday urban landscape and allowed the story of each event to reach its audience before the venue gates opened.
That is the greatest value of this partnership: DONUT was visible not only to those who already followed it, but also to those who were about to discover it.
