Secretariat’s Triple Crown win was a legendary moment in history and culture, but over half the members of today’s population weren’t alive in 1973 to witness the race firsthand. The Kentucky Derby Museum was looking to evoke that same excitement to drive ticket sales to its exhibit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s win.
Re-engage fans from the past and bring new ones into the fold by bringing 1973 to 2023. This campaign invited consumers to relate to the nostalgic thrill of success and inspire “FOMO” for a historical event.
We combined a mix of bold and modern elements with the iconic 70s style and real race-day footage to transport viewers back to that awe-inspiring time in American history. The audio was just as important as the visuals for this campaign. We used sound effects you would’ve heard at the track like fans cheering and the gunshot to start the race, an upbeat 70s-inspired track and a voiceover of the renowned Belmont Stakes race call by Churchill Downs’ current announcer to truly convey the excitement of the time.
The top priority was to increase museum ticket purchases, so we crafted a digital-forward media strategy that emphasized generating qualified leads through a full-funnel approach. We streamlined our media mix with new, engaging tactics such as high-impact and live sports CTV as well as online video to promote the exhibit to a larger bourbon and sports audience. Hyper-targeted digital ads allowed us to retarget any users who visited the site in the previous 180 days as well as users who did not purchase tickets on their first visits.
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