NASCAR Fuels Digital Transformation with PhotoShelter

Racing Ahead in the Digital Age

NASCAR’s legacy is built on speed, adrenaline, and unforgettable moments captured in iconic photographs. With a history spanning nearly a century, the racing giant has amassed a vast collection of images documenting the thrill of the race and the personalities behind the wheel. 

As NASCAR’s digital presence expanded, the organization recognized the need for a more efficient way to manage its growing digital asset library, ensuring that these powerful visuals remained easily accessible and consistently on-brand.

The Challenge: Managing High-Octane Content Operations

Tadd Haislop, NASCAR’s Manager of Digital Editorial, had a busy job juggling photos, working with different teams, and making sure NASCAR’s stories were told effectively. But with pictures scattered all over the place, things were getting messy. It was hard to find the right photo quickly, which slowed down projects and made it tough to keep the brand looking consistent.

• Assets scattered everywhere. Images were spread across different places, making them hard to find and organize. The problem only got worse with time as the content library continued to grow. 
• Slow image sharing. “If there’s breaking news, within a minute, the person who needs the photo has the photo,” Tadd emphasized. But getting photos to the right people took too long because they were so disorganized. 
• Photographer bottlenecks. Working with freelance photographers and organizing their photos was a pain. There was no streamlined way for photographers to submit their work, leading to confusion and delays. 
• Brand consistency issues. It was tough to make sure the right photos were being used everywhere, which could hurt how people see the NASCAR brand. Maintaining a cohesive visual identity was challenging without a central system to manage and track image usage.

“We get inquiries for all kinds of photographs all the time. With an archive of nearly 100 years, it became a big challenge to keep it all organized when photographs were stored in personal drives, Google Drive and other places.”

Tadd Haislop, Manager of Digital Editorial

The Solution: DAM Acceleration with PhotoShelter 

Before PhotoShelter, NASCAR’s image management was like a traffic jam. But now, it’s a smooth ride. Everything’s faster, easier to find, and the team can focus on what they do best: capturing the excitement of racing.

• One-stop photo shop. NASCAR’s photos are now in one place, easy for everyone to access. According to Tadd, “We’ve had no issues. It’s easy to access; it’s easy to give access to others; it’s easy to send photos from. It’s the perfect one-stop shop to house all of your media.” 
• Find photos fast. It’s like having a super-powered search engine for photos. Finding the perfect shot takes seconds. Powerful search and tagging features enable the team to quickly locate the exact images they need, even within a massive library. 
• Photographer-friendly. Freelance photographers can upload their photos directly, making the whole process way smoother. This workflow eliminates confusion and delays, or in Tadd’s words, “PhotoShelter is perfect for what we do.” 
• Brand control. The team has a better handle on which photos are used where, keeping NASCAR’s brand looking sharp. PhotoShelter provides the tools to manage and track image usage, ensuring consistency and protecting the brand’s visual identity.

“It’s super easy to go in [to PhotoShelter] and grab whatever we need. The search function is great… just having these images somewhere to keep archived is huge. Because you never know when someone is going to reach out and say, ‘Hey, do you guys happen to have a photo of this driver from 2012 at this track?’ And the way we have the folders organized, it’s pretty easy to go back in there and find whether we do.”

Tadd Haislop, Manager of Digital Editorial

Victory Lap for NASCAR’s Digital Asset Management

With PhotoShelter, NASCAR’s digital asset management has gone from a frustrating bottleneck to a well-oiled machine. “I honestly can’t think of anything that we wish it did that it doesn’t do now,” Tadd concluded.

The team can now focus on capturing and sharing the thrilling stories of the racetrack, knowing that their visual content is organized, accessible, and working hard to support the NASCAR brand.