Breeders’ Cup unveils ‘Best is Yet to Come’ ad campaign

by Press Release | 05.29.2012 | 12:53pm

Based on the timeless pop classic of the same name, the Breeders’ Cup today unveiled its new brand campaign, “The Best is Yet to Come,” set to launch across all Breeders’ Cup marketing platforms. The new, world-class brand campaign includes a logo, tagline and creative executions that will be implemented across web and digital channels, as well as out-of-home, event marketing, print, television and radio. To view the campaign executions, click here.

The new campaign is built around the classic song “The Best is Yet to Come,” made famous by legends such as Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and, most recently, Michael Buble. The Breeders’ Cup had Grammy award winning jazz artist Kurt Elling record a special version of the song to be used throughout campaign materials. Breeders’ Cup is planning for a live performance of the song at this year’s event.

“As we looked at new approaches to reinvigorate the Breeders’ Cup brand and expand our audience reach, this song worked so well on a number of levels—the timeless nature of the theme, the way it lends itself to our championship event and the positive aspiration of the lyrics,” said Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup. “As excitement builds throughout the racing calendar, ‘The Best is Yet to Come’ says to us what racing is all about from the birth of a new foal, the drama of the auction ring to the finish line of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”

“The Best is Yet to Come” will launch with online and email advertising in the coming weeks. A complete media campaign will launch in Southern California in the months leading up to the event. The campaign is also fully integrated into the new www.BreedersCup.com, which launched earlier this month. The new website was designed to better reflect and communicate the brand positioning, as well as to improve the online user experience. The site also features an enhanced and streamlined online ticket purchasing process that includes interactive seat maps, photos from all seating areas and an online customer service chat tool.

The campaign was created by Boston-based advertising and public relations agency Conover Tuttle Pace, the Breeders’ Cup’s agency of record since 2006. Watch the :60 ad for the campaign here:

“The song just speaks so well to everything the Breeders’ Cup is about. The momentum of the racing season, the romance and prestige of the event experience, the Challenge series, the nomination process, the World Championship races—it all lends itself to the promise of ‘The Best is Yet to Come,’” said Grant Pace, Executive Creative Director at Conover Tuttle Pace. “We really tried to bring that that to life in every element of the campaign.”

The 29th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Nov. 2 and 3, and will air on NBC and the NBC Sports Network in the first year of a new multi-year media rights partnership. The nine and a half hours of Breeders’ Cup coverage includes the first-ever running of the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in primetime on Saturday, November 3 at 8 p.m. ET. NBC was the previous home to the Breeders’ Cup from its inception in 1984 through 2005.

Tickets for the World Championships go on sale to the general public on Monday, June 4 and can be purchased by calling 877-TIX-4CUP or online at www.BreedersCup.com/tickets.

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Tonyb

I love the song, look and feel. Nice step in the right direction.
Deep Stretch

Someone deep inside told me that the songs “Tonight is your night bro” and “There ain’t no domes in Dome Valley” were strongly considered for the campaign.
Serena’s Song

This is cool, classic and captures the vibe of the event. My guess is it was probably in their budget, too, which isn’t that substantial….
Owner

I hope this is some kind of a JOKE…it looks & sounds like a kid did it on their iphone.
Anderson5999

Let me take a wild guess here – this will be shown on TVG, HRTV, between races at the California tracks, and during Rich Glazier’s Delaware Park recap show that airs at 11 p.m. on Comcast channel 28. In short, it’ll be shown to an audience THAT’S ALREADY INTERESTED IN RACING! Mark my words!
Cliff

What? No Hoof Locker?
wallyhorse

What is going to be key for this BC is how the Classic does against probably Alabama-LSU Part 3 on CBS that night. If I were at NBC, I would have insisted between now and the BC that Santa Anita install lights with the promise of that being done, three hours of prime time coverage from 8:00-11:00 PM ET on NBC. Nothing is going to do particularly well opposite ‘Bama-LSU anyway that night, and NBC might actually have a chance to bring in people who don’t care about college football (which will be on CBS and ABC and ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc.). Any pulse in the ratings at all opposite that and I suspect NBC will use that as ammo to get Churchill to make the Derby a nighttime event so the rating counts in the prime time ratings for the “May Sweeps.”

I also suspect we will be hearing that Churchill Downs will get the BC on a near-permanent basis starting in 2013 UNLESS another track capable of both racing at night AND meeting BC Ltd.’s demands (i.e.: Hollywood Park?) comes forward. This includes NYRA, who I suspect will have to install lights at Belmont AND get the laws changed in order for night racing to take place, at least for special events. I suspect in 2013 we will see a “Breeders’ Cup Prime Time Pick Four” of the Mile, Ladies Classic, Turf and Classic that would likely be a 50-cent Pick 4 with a $2 Million guaranteed pool that would air on NBC from 8:00-11:00 PM ET as part of a revamped schedule where Friday becomes “Juvenile Friday” with the Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile in a one-hour prime time broadcast on NBC from 10:00-11:00 PM ET and the rest of Friday (Juvenile Turf, Juvenile Fillies Turf, Juvenile Sprint and probably Filly and Mare sprint) on NBC Sports Network from 7:30-10:00 PM ET. The other five BC races would likely air on either NBC or NBC Sports Network from 4:30-8:00 PM ET ahead of the “Prime Time Pick Four.”
Figless

Ummmm, wouldn’t you want your new ad campaign to be launched PRIOR to the Triple Crown events, when the casual fans are actually tuning in?
NAFTA

<<**banging head on wall repeatedly until blood is drawn**>>
NAFTA

Haven’t we seen this before? The BC trying desperately to make the event relevant by leaning on celebrities? This is the best they can do? Then again, it’s probably exactly what the Board wanted.
wallyhorse

Glazer still does that show? I remember 20 years ago when that used to air on Channel 61 and could be seen over-the-air in Philly.