Great British Racing: HorsePWR - Our Horses Have Friends in High Places

London creative agency BMB has delivered the first phase of work for British horse racing clients Great British Racing (GBR), the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and racing’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), to help improve engagement and public trust around equine welfare and safety within the sport.

Horse racing is Britain’s second biggest spectator sport but concerns over the welfare of its equine athletes is the greatest threat to the sport’s social licence and a recognised barrier to engagement. As part of a step change for the industry, Great British Racing, the British Horseracing Authority and the sport’s Horse Welfare Board came together in 2023 to create a brief to find an agency to help racing tackle these challenges head on.

BMB was appointed in December 2023 to deliver the work in two phases across 2024-2025. Central to the brief was the development of a new creative platform that would sit across the sport and a bold new organising idea with openness, trust, and transparency around equine welfare at its core.

BMB’s creative route, HorsePWR, flips the approach that welfare worries are a barrier to engagement in racing by inviting discussion and transparency on the topic. Building on the public’s love of animals, and of admiration of athleticism and athletes, HorsePWR instead uses positive welfare communications to encourage people to engage with the sport. The acronym PWR delivers the campaign’s key pillars of Purpose, Welfare and Responsibility.

HorsePWR’s creative takes inspiration directly from sports marketing, putting the Thoroughbred athlete front and centre. Heroic portraits and close-up photography place the horse at the heart of all assets and bold typography in colours inspired by jockey silks help deliver messages that have energy, impact and excitement.