Aintree launch Grand National campaign
Aintree is to launch its biggest advertising campaign yet as it embarks upon the road to The Crabbie's Grand National.
Last Updated: 06/01/14 10:14am
The ad campaign, created by agency Loaf Creative, launches tonight. The approach takes on a new direction for Aintree, highlighting the three days of the event which takes place from 3-5 April 2014.
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.
Grand Opening Day sees the master of ceremonies bring the starting flag down on the beginning of the festival stating 'Let The Show Begin.'
Ladies Day speaks confidently to the current audience, acknowledging the preparation and planning and the importance of Ladies Day as an event in its own right, whilst communicating in a stylish way to a potential new audience. The creative features the beautiful and iconic Liver Building as a back drop.
Grand National Day features the stars of the show....horse and jockey. Dressed in Halewood silks, jumping an iconic Grand National Fence, the jockey is a subtle nod to the new title sponsors Crabbie's who own 2004 Grand National Winner Amberleigh House.
The campaign was shot mainly on location in Liverpool and also at Donald McCain's yard, where a real Aintree Grand National fence was constructed, which was jumped by a true thoroughbred and ridden by Grand National 2013, Across The Bay jockey, Henry Brooke.
More than 150,000 people attend The Grand National Festival across the three days, with 9m TV viewers watching The Crabbie's Grand National race itself, and more than 600m TV viewers tuning in worldwide.
Nadine Mansfield, Regional Head of Marketing for The Jockey Club in the North West said: "We have been working on the campaign for a number of months now and are very excited about the launch which will go live on Monday 6th January.
"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. A new website has been created to underpin the campaign too www.thecrabbiesgrandnational.co.uk."
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: "The countdown to the Crabbie's Grand National Festival 2014 has truly begun. 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."