Racing Experts Won’t Leave Your Side in Sell! Sell!’s New Racing Post Spot

Sell! Sell! has teamed up with Gas&Electric’s Tom King, and Yellow Boat Music to create a brand new campaign for Racing Post. The quirky spots highlight the formidable expertise behind the brand that is the UK's pre-eminent authority on horse racing and betting.

The adverts open to the seemingly normal scene of someone using the Racing Post app, before swiftly panning out to reveal they’re not alone… They’re surrounded by a seemingly absurd amount of racing experts, all clamouring to help their user make the most informed bet. In ‘Bedroom’, the dedicated team pops up in the protagonist’s bed and there’s even someone stuffed into the wardrobe. In ‘Bus’, the bewildered conductor finds the entire top deck of the vehicle crammed full of experts furiously making notes and calculating the best odds for their client. Even a cat and a horse get involved in ‘Living Room’. These visual manifestations serve as compelling visual gags whilst also leaving a memorable impression of the brand’s expansive resources and in-depth expertise.

Andy Palmer, Founder of Sell! Sell! comments: “We wanted to create a campaign that cut through the noise of conventional bookmaker advertising, whilst also being entertaining and informative. Racing Post employ more experts than anyone else so this was a real opportunity to establish those credentials and introduce the new slogan, ‘When you bet on racing, you can bet on Racing Post’. We knew that the guys at Yellow Boat would deliver something unusual and unique that fits the brief. They came up with a soundtrack that really stands out in the context of a commercial break, which was perfect for us.”

The latest campaign cements a prosperous seven-year partnership between Racing Post, Sell! Sell!, Tom King, and Yellow Boat Music. Shot with a cast of over 50 people in just two days, the intricate and well-choreographed ads were impressively achieved entirely in-camera without any CGI and were filmed in real locations, rather than on set builds. The successful execution of such an ambitious idea depended on the tight and trusting collaboration between the four partners. 

Describing the production, Tom says: “As director, my job was to try and make visual sense of the madness. There is a strong simplicity to the concept of these scripts that harks back to the days of classic advertising and comedy. The soundtrack was always a key part of these scripts so we knew we needed something striking and interesting but not overwhelming to accent the oddity of the films. Paul and Phil always bring an element of surprise to their compositions which slot together perfectly with the visuals.” 

Layering percussion elements to help inspire a mounting sense of excitement and activity, Yellow Boat’s Paul Cartledge and Philip Jewson created a bespoke composition for the spot. “We developed a composition that was adaptable, something that would tie in well with the rhythm and comedic timing of each spot. The great thing about the relationship is that it gives us the scope to push creative boundaries. Musically, with this campaign, we really explored some extremes because we knew that the trust was there and everyone was fully on board and aiming for the same high-quality result.”

The campaign is now live on TV and online and will be supported by a print campaign.