Late March saw Ascot Racecourse launch a new UK campaign called ‘The Ascot You’ which focused on the transformative feeling that going to an ascot event can have.
Promoting the venue’s year-round event schedule and launched well ahead of the 2023 iteration of its flagship Royal Ascot meeting (which will be held from 20 to 24 June), ‘The Ascot You’ juxtaposes everyday characters and their normal selves alongside the elevated elegance of the Ascot version of the same people on race day.
Launching nationwide across TV, print, OOH, online and through a PR push, the campaign executions bring to life the idea that “There’s you you, then there’s the Ascot You”.
The work was created by agency Dark Horses, which won the rights owner account after a competitive pitch in Autumn 2022, with production company Spindle, Director Daniel Liakh and photographer Carla Guler (through A&R Creative).
The campaign was spearheaded by TV commercial set in a typical, bland, vanilla office where the mundanity is eased by the arrival of Alice who has just attended Royal Ascot. Alice struts elegantly to her desk while her colleagues look on in admiration and ask her how her weekend was.
The lead commercial, called ‘There’s You You… Then There’s The Ascot You’ dropped on 28 March and urges viewers to embrace #TheAscotYou this June and seeks to drive them online to the ticket platform at https://www.ascot.com/horse-races-and…
The print and outdoor ads also depict everyday people – from a yoga couple and a dog walker, to a man in an office canteen – all dressed to the nines for Ascot, but shot in their everyday environment. While specific ‘Royal Ascot’ social executions seek to boost ticket sales for the racecourse’s flagship event of the year.
“There’s a magical transformation that happens to everyone that attends an Ascot event, from getting dressed up, to feeling the thrill of the races, it’s a place where you can be whoever you want to be,” explained Dark Horses Creative Director Steve Howell. “The Ascot You is all about celebrating that release from within and how it can resonate into your everyday life.”
Ascot Racecourse Head of Marketing Ros Robinson added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Dark Horses, the team truly captured the essence of Royal Ascot and the experience of attending a raceday in the creative. This was borne out of a clear understanding of our business opportunities and how to deliver them through our marketing communications.”
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The Spring campaign follows hot-on-the-heel of Ascot’s annual fashion and style focused ‘Royal Ascot Lookbook 2023’ marketing strand which rolled out from 8 March and included a series of videos and supporting content, as well as promotions for its ‘Royal Ascot Chefs in Residence 2023’ programme.
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