The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) is inviting racegoers to grab the weekend tribe and experience a different kind of Spring Carnival via a new campaign from creative collaborators East of Everything and TABOO.
“It’s Time to Re-Wild” is an open invitation to break out of our collective post-covid, post Winter malaise and embrace a vibrant and unexpected world of food, fashion, fun and racing at Caulfield.
MRC chief customer officer Jeremy Francis said: “As a business and brand, we are dedicated to opening the sport up to more people through unexpected and immersive experiences. We knew to drive engagement and reach new audiences, our marketing and on course experience needed to challenge the old ways and be unashamedly future focused.”
The creative breaks from the typical stereotypes of the racing world bringing to life MRC’s progressive spirit to change the world of racing to be more open and welcoming for everyone, not just racing’s initiated.
Renowned New York artist, Spencer Gabor was the perfect choice to create a colourful and fantastical world of entertainment, bought sensationally to life by award winning Melbourne animators SOMA Studios with music by Squeak E Clean.
“No slow-motion horses, stock photography or grandiose music, this isn’t your typical Spring Racing campaign. Building on the brand strategy we were tasked to come up with something that felt different for the category. Everyone came together to build this wild world – from TABOO, Spencer, Soma, Squeak E and the fabulous crew at the MRC,” says Grant Rutherford, ECD and co-founder, East of Everything.
The ‘It’s Time to Re-Wild’ creative platform is extended through to the race day experience with the launch of the brand new ‘Wilderland’ precinct, that invites racegoers to let down their hair and embrace their wild side.
MRC general manager of marketing, Ashley Curnow said, “We’re eager to push the boundaries with this year’s Caulfield Cup Carnival campaign, and approach not only the way we market racing, but sport more broadly. Engaging an artist like Spencer Gabor was key and allowed us to employ a more modern lens on our campaign. His stunning, abstract work is the perfect creative to attract new audiences and reiterate MRC’s point of difference in the racing category.”
TABOO creative dDirector Melba Gounas said, “In an era where local sporting events play on a global stage and are upping the ante with all-around experiences, MRC doesn’t aim to simply join the crowd. Rather, our ‘It’s Time to Re-wild’ campaign is inspired by the liberating spirit of festivals. We aim to engage audiences in new, positive ways – encouraging everyone to unleash their wild side, however they define it.”
‘It’s time to Re-Wild’ is a fully integrated campaign with TV, online video, social, large format OOH, impulse media, street posters, murals, print, radio, digital display, experiential and on-track activity rounding out the creative mix.
In a ground-breaking move, MRC has extended the Caulfield Cup Carnival program for 2023, adding a brand-new race day in November, making it a total of four major Saturday race days across Caulfield Racecourse’s jam-packed Spring Racing calendar.
Tickets for the 2023 Caulfield Cup Carnival are now available for purchase via Ticketek, offering racing enthusiasts and newcomers alike the opportunity to Re-Wild and be part of this unforgettable experience.
