A family whose name is synonymous with auto racing in Canada is taking back narrative control of their patriarch’s legacy with the Formula One world set to descend on Montreal for this month’s Canadian Grand Prix.
In partnership with creative agency Sid Lee, the children of Canadian racing legend Gilles Villeneuve have launched a brand initiative in an effort to create “a movement of pride around his life, ensure the longevity of his memory and inspire future generations,” according Gilles’s daughter Melanie Villeneuve.
Gilles, who had six first-place Grand Prix finishes during his storied Formula One career, died in an accident during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix on May 8, 1982. Gilles’s son, Jacques Villeneuve, followed his father’s path, establishing himself as a auto-racing great in his own right with 11 victories and a world-championship Formula One season in 1997.
“After my father’s passing, we were too young to understand the scope of Gilles’s impact. We let others handle his legacy after which Jacques’s own racing career was in full development. Today, we are ready to take back control and ensure his story lives on,” Melanie said in a news release.
Thursday’s announcement came with the launch of a fashion website featuring a capsule-collection inspired by Gilles.
A number of other projects were announced for the brand launch, including a film about Gilles’s career starring Rosalie Bonenfant and Rémi Goulet.
Sid Lee executive creative director David Allard tells strategy that the creative work was an exercise in balancing reverence and reinvention and involved the Villeneuve family each step of the way.
“Our approach was to treat Gilles not just as a racing legend, but as a timeless cultural figure,” Allard says. “That meant embracing his past with respect, while using today’s tools, digital platforms, storytelling, immersive design, to give new life to his story and pass it on in ways that feel relevant and inspiring.”
Gilles’s iconic “GV” logo, which the driver designed himself using Crayola pencils on a blank helmet shell, served as inspiration for the brand’s visual identity.
Allard says Sid Lee tapped into Gilles’s unique sense of self-expression to develop the brand’s vibrant orange-red colour palette and distinctive shapes and lines, while giving special focus to the racer’s history wearing number 27.
The collection uses a timeline framework to reflect the full arc of Gilles’s life from his early days in Quebec to his final races.
“The family has been at the heart of every decision … ensuring the brand reflects who Gilles really was, both as a man and as a cultural icon,” Allard says. “Altogether, the brand is built to feel raw yet refined, honouring the era he raced in, while introducing him to a new generation through a timeless, emotional lens.”
A collaboration with Sid Lee Architecture to create an experiential space in honour of Gilles in Montreal in also underway. The space, currently in the conceptual stage, is being envisioned as a landmark that bridges Gilles’s ties to Montreal and his Berthierville, Que., heritage. Allard says plans for attractions include interactive simulators, archival artifacts, audiovisual installations and storytelling capsules.
“Rather than a traditional museum, this space is envisioned as a dynamic experience that would celebrate his human side and lasting impact,” Allard says.
Last week’s launch included an celebration in downtown Montreal organized by Sid Lee that brought together 184 guests from the artistic, sporting and institutional worlds, including the actors and producers of the coming film. The event generated several million media impressions in Quebec, according to the news release.
