25/01/2016

Dubai Marathon ’16 Sponsor Standard Chartered Gives Everyone #ReasonsToRun

As the lead sponsor of the 2016 Dubai Marathon, Standard Chartered Bank again rolled out a new version of its ongoing pre-event ‘Reason To Run’ campaign that aims not just to drive awareness of its race partnership but to encourage and incentivise participation.

 

The year’s initiative was primarily built around the campaign hashtag #reasonstorun and its approach was to showcase various different people from different walks of life who each have different motivations for taking part in the marathon.

 

The creative ran across web, radio, social media and in cinemas and was spearheaded by a 30-second video that aired in cinemas across the UAE.

 

The concept of this lead spot revolved around having something to spur all types of runners on: from couch potatoes to the need to fit into a dress.

 

The cinema commercial roll out in October 2015 – well before the January race itself

 

 

was also amplified across the brand’s social channels.

 

 

The banking brand also allied with local Dubai gymn outfit Inner Fight in November for a three-part race preparation video series on training,

 

 

nutrition,

 

 

and equipment

 

 

The campaign was then supported by a range of pre- and post-event social media assets – running primarily across Twitter (like continuing staggered countdown, training and registration reminders)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and various other YouTube films (eg behind-the-scenes videos, celebrity, fan and runner clips),

 

 

 

 

 

and Facebook many of which linked various Standard Chartered products (such as credit cards that give you free gym access) with the marathon itself.

 

The ad executions drove viewers to the #reasontorun web hub which included registration details and sign-up links, alongside cross-sold marathon-related bank products.

 

These were further backed by a set of free-registration media partnership competitions too.

 

The #RunForAReason idea in various guises has been the brand’s ongoing core concept for its all of its previous recent Dubai marathon campaigns.

 

For example, in 2015 it ran a consumer-created, Facebook-focused ‘Run For A reason’ competition,

 

 

while in 2013 there was an internal Standard Chartered staff focused strand to the campaign which included a series of #runforareason videos posted on Standard Chartered’s YouTube channel that again aimed to encourage people to sign up for the marathon telling the stories of employees who have decided to run – such as

 

Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2013 – Corporate Affairs Team from Seraph Production on Vimeo.

 

The 2013 campaign incentivised people to register for the race with a TV spot driving viewers to sign up at http://bit.ly/RegisterSCDM and encouraging those entering to the brand about their own reason to run at http://on.fb.me/U285z3 or via @StanChartUAE to be in with a chance of winning a range of prizes.

 

 

Comment

 

The core pre-event registration drive commercial racked up a solid 616,838 YouTube views – a solid performance for a market of this size.

 

The Dubai Marathon is just one of 10 races across four continents that Standard Chartered sponsor as the bank aims to support the organisers in giving thousands of ordinary people reason to feel extraordinary.

 

The idea behind the marathon partnerships is that they all characterise the values and attitude that Standard Chartered believes in, and lives by every day – namely a ‘can-do’ attitude, a priority on strength of trust, willpower, stamina, and a determination to go the distance.

 

Testing individual courage while bringing together and inspiring entire communities to lead healthier lifestyles, there’s really nothing quite like a Standard Chartered marathon.

 

Between October and June, races take place in Jersey, Nairobi, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, the Falkland Islands and Kuala Lumpur and these races have been chosen by the bank partly because of the fact that they all appeal to all types of runners – some people run in costumes, some for charity, others to push their physical and mental limits.

 

The commercial concept is that what makes all Standard Chartered marathons unique is ‘a sense of trust between competitors and creativity amongst supporters, a determination to go the extra mile, no matter what. They are truly a run for everyone.’

 

The title sponsor is not the only brand activating around the event with a similar individual runner story led approach: one week before the starting gun fired, adidas launched its Dubai ‘Run Greatness’ campaign to provide a platform for every runner to share their story.

 

Adidas also aimed to encourage the UAE running community to come together and share their motivation using #WhyIRunDubai.

 

The initiative was kick-started ahead of theDubai Marathon when three adidas ambassadors – World Record breaker and personal trainer Lee Ryan and long distance runners Anne-Marie Hyryläinen and Brahim Slimani – appeared at an Adidas event to share their story.

 

‘I run because it challenges me to keep moving forward no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way,’ said three time Guinness World Record breaker Lee Ryan.

 

‘I’m excited to take on the Dubai Marathon this year. With so many renowned runners taking part, finding the energy where you need it most will be crucial!’

 

Representing Finland at the Rio 2016 Olympics this year, Anne-Marie Hyryläinen said: ‘I run because running is my passion. It is a way of my life. When I run, I feel really alive and I am living my dream. I have always had a dream that one day I will run in the Olympic Games. I run in Dubai because it is my ’Road to Rio. I am proud that I can compete in my hometown. I hope that I can be a good example to other women and young people, that they can follow their own dreams and turn them to reality.’

 

adidas encouraged runners to be part of the race campaign conversation and share their own #WhyIRunDubai stories on @adidasrunning and @adidasMENA.

 

Links

 

Standard Chartered Dubai marathon YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaYSuqBFtOWUBLWBal60Twg

 

Standard Chartered UAE YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/StanChartUAE

 

Standard Chartered UAE Website:

https://www.sc.com/ae/

 

Standard Chartered USA Twitter:

https://twitter.com/StanChartUAE

 

Standard Chartered UAE Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/standardchartereduae/

 

Standard Chartered UAE Google+:

https://plus.google.com/u/1/105588795888141286275/posts

 

Dubai Marathon Website:

http://www.dubaimarathon.org/

 

Adidas UAE:

http://www.adidas.ae

 

Inner Fight:

http://www.innerfight.com/



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