From idea to delivery: How we created a record-breaking campaign in just 3 weeks

We recently created the record-breaking #ForTheLoveOfEquestrian campaign for the FEI – after just 3 weeks of concerted effort.

The campaign is scheduled to run over the summer and will feature incredible stories of passion, commitment and pride. From elite athletes and their teams, to everyday riders, #ForTheLoveOfEquestrian embraces the dedication and courage that underpins equestrian sport and its surrounding lifestyle.

The results have blown us away. With minimal paid media, the launch video has reached 1,657,528 people, with 2,258 602 impressions, 846,778 video views and 87,552 overwhelmingly positive engagements.

We’d have been delighted with these results under any circumstance, but under lockdown they are one of our greatest achievements. How did we do it?

First, we set out our guiding principles:

• to work in collaboration with the FEI from concept to delivery
• to produce and deliver a concept that would resonate with the FEI audience
• to celebrate the love that fans and riders have for their sport
• to spark emotions and conversations

In implementing these principles, we employed teamwork, agility and passion.

The Idea

To celebrate the love, community and unwavering commitment to equestrian sports. It’s about meaningful connections, support and understanding. The campaign needed to hero these aspects of equestrian lifestyle.

Set to run over the summer, #ForTheLoveOfEquestrian will feature incredible stories of passion, commitment and pride from elite athletes and their teams, to everyday riders, embracing the dedication and courage that underpins equestrian sport and its surrounding way of life.

The Goal

To produce an inspiring campaign that unites the equestrian community in a time of uncertainty and difficulty, filling a void in equestrian sport. We want to tell stories that fill the hearts of our fans and fuel lifelong passions for the world of equestrian.

The launch video needed to encompass this messaging, striking a chord with endemic and wider fans alike. We wanted to bring the forgotten details of equestrianism to life, reigniting memories of days gone by and giving hope of a brighter future.

Teamwork

As Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” This advice certainly played out for us.

#ForTheLoveOfEquestrian was a real team effort between Redtorch and the FEI, made possible by our long-standing relationship, our mutual trust and understanding: testament to the importance of building strong bonds between client and agency.

A massive thank you for all the hard work on #ForTheLoveOfEquestrian. It’s been a brilliant team effort with an outstanding video to show for it at the end. I’m really happy with how it all came together.

Alice Permain, Sports Content Manager, Broadcast & Digital – FEI

Agility

The entire campaign was delivered remotely so agility was crucial. How did we keep agile?

• We stuck to deadlines and responded when challenges arose.
• We implemented careful time management from the start so no time was wasted.
• No shortcuts were taken.
• We agreed the creative idea and script up front.

Passion

Passion, hard work and dedication are essential when creating something of real value. Our team of experts shared a strong central idea – and had fun creating the campaign, too.

The end product is the tip of the iceberg, with the behind-the-scenes output laying coolly under the surface. It’s this work that enables the visible campaign to stay afloat. A concrete base is the heart of an excellent campaign.

Visibility

An idea is no good if no one sees it: we had to make sure people saw the campaign!

Kaley Cuoco’s (8 Simple Rules, The Big Bang Theory) heartfelt narration was provided for free and was crucial in providing a brilliant structure to share our message and inspire conversation on global platforms. We were helped by Kaley’s investment in the idea – she’s a huge equestrian fan! – her availability, and her ability to record a brilliant voiceover within a week.

If you’re looking to launch a campaign fast it helps to have a professional actor narrate – the key is to find the actor for whom getting involved makes sense for them.