Suffolk Downs has launched a comprehensive advertising campaign, including television and radio featuring local and national celebrities, as part of a significantly increased effort to market the Thoroughbred racetrack in Boston. The campaign is the first major branding effort for the track in over 10 years.
The campaign, titled "Who Do You Like Today?" is an extension of a campaign created and produced by Conover Tuttle Pace of Boston for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. CTP customized the spots for Suffolk Downs with the inclusion of local celebrity racing fans and track supporters who volunteered their participation in the campaign.
Those appearing in the spots include comedian Lenny Clarke, Olympic hockey gold medalist Mike Eruzione, former Red Sox manager Joe Morgan, four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers, and renowned chef and restaurateur Jasper White, according to an Aug. 14 release from Suffolk Downs.
Hall of Fame jockey and four-time Massachusetts Handicap winner Jerry Bailey joins the local celebrities, as well as Suffolk Downs jockeys, trainers, racing fans, and other track personalities. Celebrities who appear in the national spots and are included in the campaign are racing fans Dennis Hopper, Jerry O'Connell, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Alex Trebek.
The campaign will also feature print, outdoor, and Web advertising.
“This campaign positions Suffolk Downs as an exciting entertainment option in this very competitive market,” Christian Teja, vice president of marketing and communications for Suffolk Downs, said in a statement.
The campaign is part of Suffolk Downs’ new ownership’s overall commitment to revitalizing Thoroughbred racing. Earlier this year, the track announced the return of the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap after a two-year hiatus, restoring the track’s historic signature race to the local sports calendar. The race will take place Sept. 22 and will be the focus of the new campaign in the weeks leading up to it.
