Coral Launches Milestone Promotional Campaign Ahead of Cheltenham Festival

Leading UK bookmaker Coral has unveiled its new brand campaign, “We’re Here For It,” featuring a series of TV ads focusing on horse racing and gaming. This campaign, the first by Wonderhood Studios since they became Coral’s lead creative agency, unites various types of racing, sports, and gaming fans through their shared passion.

The TV Promos Showcase Passion and Creativity

The inaugural TV ad, “We’re Here For It – Racing Fan Derby,” is a 30-second spot filmed at Newbury racecourse. The promotional video showcases a unique race where jockeys include various horse racing enthusiasts, including dapper gentlemen, glamorous ladies, a stag do, and even a senior citizen, all set on victory.

The second ad is set in a Chinese takeaway, portraying a gamer playing on his phone with friends while enjoying Coral’s free-to-play games. It introduces the company’s in-play proposition, Rewards Grabber, and its industry-first product, Coral Coins. The ads will feature on TV, video-on-demand, and radio, with additional promotional efforts during the Cheltenham Festival.

During the festival, Coral will also have a branded takeover of Cheltenham Spa station, bolstering other marketing efforts like out-of-home advertising, print materials, and broadcast sponsorships with Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing. Jeremy Hemmings, interim chief marketing officer at Entain, Coral’s parent company, lauded the brand’s heritage and committed to upholding its customer-focused values.

Our new campaign platform is in recognition of this strong customer relationship and serves as a reiteration of our rock-solid market position.

Jeremy Hemmings, Entertain interim chief marketing officer

Coral has substantial experience with attention-grabbing campaigns. 2022’s Cheltenham Festival promotions saw the company pioneer using 3D technology in a horseracing display at the Piccadilly Circus. The eye-catching 783.5m² (0.19 acres) screen gave horse racing never before seen hype and attention, setting the stage for Coral’s future campaigns.

Coral Remains a Staunch Supporter of UK Horse Racing

High-profile marketing efforts have paid off for Coral, cementing its position as one of the UK’s leading operators. Coral Racing Club, the operator’s free-to-join racecourse ownership club for horse racing enthusiasts, recently announced that it had surpassed 50,000 in just three months after its creation. This achievement highlights Coral’s impressive insight into customer preferences.

2024’s campaign aims to showcase a richer, more entertaining personality for Coral, establishing its distinctive market position. Creative director at Wonderhood Studios, Guy Hobbs, noted that the ads aimed to celebrate the UK’s real racing and gaming lovers, regardless of their betting preferences. He hoped the videos would resonate with bettors and bolster Coral’s public-facing image.

We’re super excited to be delivering this fresh brand platform to inject some energy into an iconic British brand.

Guy Hobbs, Wonderhood Studios creative director

The team behind the visionary ads has worked for other leading brands like Aviva, Boots, BT, Google, and Subaru, demonstrating impressive passion, creativity, and ambition. This campaign is another tribute to UK horse racing, encouraging fans to engage with the sport during the Cheltenham Festival celebrations however they see fit.