A TALE OF HORSES, MEDIA AND A RUNAWAY SUCCESS.

THE PROBLEM:

John Smith’s brand equity had been in decline for several years.  The majority of the brand budget was being spent on the sponsorship of the Grand National, but the brand wasn’t winning.  We had to think differently.

THE SOLUTION:

The activation couldn’t be limited to just sticking a logo on a jockey’s arse, although we  did that as well .  Instead, we developed an important role for the brand, bringing the atmosphere of the world’s greatest steeplechase closer to John Smith’s drinkers.

We surrounded the race-goer on their journey from the city centre to the racecourse, with humorous, racing relevant messages from Lime Street Station, to the bars at Aintree and back again.

And then we bought a horse and had him trained by the legendary McCain yard…. And gave every John Smith’s drinker the opportunity to own a share in a racehorse and live the life of an owner at the races.

THE RESULTS:

Simply phenomenal.  Brand equity grew by 13pp in the 2 years of campaign. The campaign achieved a 569% sales boost in Tesco and over 2000% in Asda. 

And bagged plenty of awards including a MAA Worldwide Globe, IPM gold, MAA Best Award & Hollis Award for best sponsorship.