Mustoe wins biggest Derby campaign yet

United Racecourses has appointed Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy (MMHL) to launch the biggest ad campaign to date for the Derby.

The agency won the business, worth about &£500,000, following a pitch against two other agencies. United Racecourses, which runs Sandown Park, Kempton Park and Epsom, has a five-year strategy to raise the profile of the event.

The strategy involves getting more people through the turnstiles and increasing the numbers who bet and watch the sport on television.

The Derby, currently sponsored by Vodafone, has been run annually at Epsom since 1780 and attracts more than 100,000 spectators.

United Racecourses marketing manager Tim Darby says: “We want to surpass the current popularity of the event.

“By the end of the campaign we hope to be seen as a truly national event such as the FA Cup final or the Grand National – but hopefully it will be before then.”

MMHL chief executive Nick Mustoe adds: “We have plans to make the Vodafone Derby a bigger and more special event than ever.”

Media will be handled by Total Media and will include outdoor print and press advertising in May and early June 2001.