Aintree Launches Crabbie’s Grand National Campaign
Aintree Racecourse has revealed its biggest ad campaign yet ahead of the Crabbie’s Grand National 2014, the first race to take place under its latest title sponsor and the first time ever that the world’s most famous steeplechase will run for a £1 million purse.
The ad campaign, created by agency Loaf Creative, will launches today (Monday 6th January), highlighting the three days of the event – taking place from 3rd to 5th April.
Entitled ‘The Grandest Show, The Greatest Drama,’ the campaign showcases the three days of the Festival: Grand Opening Day, Ladies Day and Grand National Day.
The campaign begins with the Grand Opening Day, with the master of ceremonies bringing the starting flag down on the beginning of the festival stating ‘Let The Show Begin.’
Grand National Day features a horse and jockey dressed in Halewood silks, a subtle nod to the new title sponsors Crabbie’s who own 2004 Grand National winner Amberleigh House.
More than 150,000 people attend The Grand National Festival across the three days, with 9 million TV viewers set to watch the Crabbie’s Grand National race itself, and more than 600 million TV viewers tuning in worldwide.
The campaign will feature on TV (ITV Granada, Border and Channel 4) seeing the ad premier in the first break of Emmerdale at 7.15pm on Monday evening. The creative will also feature across 48 sheets, 6 sheets and in Merseyside and Greater Manchester, as well as megarears in these locations plus digital screens at London Euston.
The three radio creatives will be aired on talkSPORT, Radio City, Key 103, Smooth North West and Real North West, and a full digital strategy has been developed to include ITV Player pre-rolls, Firefly, Facebook and geo & behavioural targeting.
Nadine Mansfield, regional head of marketing for The Jockey Club in the North West said: ‘In June 2013 we carried out a competitive pitch process to select the best idea from the best agency, and we appointed the talented Loaf agency to create the campaign entitled ‘The Grandest Show, The Greatest Drama.’
‘The campaign showcases the three days as a festival with the ultimate goal of driving awareness and ticket sales across the three days. We are also trying to enhance and elevate the perception of Ladies Day which holding on to the core audience whilst driving in a new one. It’s also very important for us to introduce Crabbie’s as the new title sponsor.’
John Baker, regional director for The Jockey Club in the North West added: ‘2014 is a really significant year for Aintree and the Crabbie’s Grand National and with a new title sponsor we wanted to create a campaign which raises the bar to attract a broader reaching audience to what is one of the greatest sporting events in the world.’
Peter Eaton Senior, deputy chairman of Halewood International, owners of title sponsors Crabbie’s stated: ‘It has always been the family’s ambition to sponsor the race and all of us at Halewood International and Crabbie’s are delighted to be part of the excitement, the drama and the thrill of the World’s greatest steeplechase. Both the family and the company will be fully supporting the Jockey Club’s campaign, as we all know that the world stands still for the Grand National and we want to ensure the Crabbie’s Grand National is the best in the festival’s proud history.’
