GROWING FANBASE FOR THE RED BULL AIR RACE
THE CHALLENGE
The Red Bull Air Race wanted strategic communications support to boost ticket sales and awareness for the Ascot leg of the 2016 competition as well as the annual Race series as a whole. Despite being a visual spectacle featuring some of the world's best racing pilots, the event had to compete with the Olympic Games and UEFA EURO2016 Championships.
THE STRATEGY
Calacus devised key narratives for some of the stand-out Red Bull pilots to demonstrate quite how precise and demanding their control of their aircraft really was.
We also organised a range of personalised experiences for media including flights in two-seater planes and VIP trips to some of the other marquee events around the world.
We identified popular celebrities and invited them to the events as well as offering them flying experiences, photoshoots and access to the aircraft hangars for broadcast purposes.
THE OUTCOME
Some of the pilots, including the first woman to compete in the Red Bull Air Race, Mélanie Astles, garnered significant media attention, which increased interest in the Ascot event.
The Ascot Red Bull Air Race sold out once again and Calacus exceeded its coverage targets despite the busy summer of sport.
“I can only recommend David Alexander and his team at Calacus. They are absolutely reliable and clients can be sure that they will do everything to get the best results possible. If there is an agency that delivers value for money, then it is Calacus!”
— Gerald Meier, Red Bull Air Race Head of Communications