2015 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

On the day of the event we boasted a full house. And more than 1,200 people flocked to the photo booth, taking and sharing hundreds of photos on their social media feeds. With the help of families, we doubled the viewership of the Dubai World Cup versus the previous year On Twitter, the campaign attracted more than 5,000 followers, almost three times the normal number The hashtag #DRWorldCup rivaled those of official hashtags in terms of volume of mentions But our biggest achievement was that we delivered a World Cup that included everyone.

Creative Execution

We built a two-day viewing venue at Jumeirah Beach, one of Dubai’s most popular pedestrian walkways, where we broadcast the race live on a larger than life screen. Everyone was welcome and we included other family-friendly activities related to horse racing. - Want to wear an extravagant hat? Dress up with fancy look alike designer brands? And have your photo taken? Be our guests! An exclusive photo-booth with a variety of Dubai World Cup backdrops was at everyone’s disposal. Everyone wanted in. Soon social media was flooded with images of families enjoying the event. - Young kids were overjoyed when they discovered free pony rides along the beach. - Racing geeks were drawn to information centers where they could learn more about the horses, jockeys and various stables. To promote the event and get families involved, we started a digital campaign the week before using the hashtag #DRWorldCup.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Imagine one of the biggest parties in the world happening right next door! Now, imagine having to sit it out to watch your kids. Let’s face it the Dubai World Cup isn’t really about the horses. Designer clothes, fancy cars, extravagant hats and a steady flow of champagne make it the biggest party of the year. It’s a full day event that revelers just don’t want to miss out on. But families with kids don’t exactly fit the picture. Dubai Racing Channel wanted to drive awareness of the channel and boost viewership. We developed a flanking strategy, honing in on families. Our idea was to create a family-friendly version of the Dubai World Cup. If our audience couldn’t go to the races, we would bring the races to them – for FREE!