The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports
Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby
Research, Strategy, Identity, Event Identity, Guidelines
Insight.
An inaugural race meet in 1875 that featured two flagship horse races: the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby, was just the beginning for these iconic races still run beneath the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs 148 years later. Building off this legacy, Churchill Downs Inc. needed to grow the race’s commercial business and attract new generations of racing fans. Secondary to building the foundation for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, the goal each year was to embody “The fastest two minutes in sports” into a must see - can’t miss event of the spring.
Idea.
In collaboration with SME Branding, after identifying the core assets and essence of the Kentucky Derby Brand, the distinct culture of the American South and the event itself was infused into a new master brand identity. Serving as a visual articulation for a broader strategic initiative that elevated the race to a full-fledged lifestyle event, the new identity successfully unified the Derby’s various properties across a defined brand architecture that laid foundation for the development of annual event marks.
