The Sonic the Hedgehog brand is in the midst of its biggest boom in decades—and SEGA knows it. Spearheading the push behind the blue blur’s global resurgence is Marcella Churchill, SEGA’s Vice President of Brand Marketing. Following a massive year spotlighting Shadow the Hedgehog, Churchill and her team have now launched Racing Around the World, a new campaign that leans into Sonic’s high-speed appeal and sets the stage for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
The campaign kicked off with a new stunt racing video created in partnership with Red Bull, featuring professional rally driver and Sonic fan Brandon Semenuk. For Churchill, the collaboration wasn’t just a flashy tie-in—it was a strategic move built around shared values. “The key to making a great pitch for a brand collaboration is understanding how the brands best intersect,” she explained. “This year’s campaign is all about speed, attitude, and going above and beyond. That’s exactly what Red Bull’s athletes—and Sonic—represent.”
Churchill, who has worked with Sonic on and off since 2007, says the brand has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few years. What was once a game-first franchise has now evolved into a fully integrated lifestyle brand. “We’ve shifted Sonic into an ‘always-on’ brand,” she said. “Games, movies, comics, toys, streetwear collabs, pop-ups—it’s all part of a single brand story that keeps fans constantly engaged.”
That “always-on” approach appears to be working. According to SEGA’s latest fiscal report, Sonic’s licensing revenue has skyrocketed to over $1 billion annually. In FY 2025 alone, licensing generated 13.3 billion yen (roughly $91.8 million), up from 5.7 billion yen ($39.3 million) just three years ago. Churchill credited the growth to her team’s focus on building cohesive annual campaigns—like Fearless: The Year of Shadow and now Racing Around the World—that unify every piece of Sonic content under a larger marketing narrative.
And the momentum isn’t slowing down. Churchill confirmed that planning is already underway for 2026, which will mark Sonic’s 35th anniversary. “These yearly campaigns have allowed for the business to really take off,” she said. “Sonic isn’t just having a moment—he’s driving a movement.”
Stay tuned to Sonic City as Racing Around the World gains speed and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds approaches the starting line.
Source: Inc. Magazine
