Toronto’s premiere horse racing event has rebranded to reflect the changing of England’s monarch – and is seizing the opportunity to help further its goals of broadening its reach and bringing new fans to the sport.

The King’s Plate, now named in honour of King Charles III, has a 163-year history in the city, making it a unique sporting event with a legacy that surpasses that of many other Toronto sports franchises and events.

“It’s one of the most celebrated events in horse racing across North America and even globally,” explains David Vivenes, VP of marketing, communications and consumer experience for Woodbine Entertainment, its organizer. “It attracts more than 15,000 spectators, and hundreds of thousands of viewers on TV.”

“The King’s Plate is quite literally the party of the summer,” adds David Rosenberg, partner and CCO at Bensimon Byrne, the agency that worked on the new campaign.

Such a beloved event – and racing industry staple – offers “great opportunity to retain the things that have made it so special,” Vivenes says, but that doesn’t change the fact that a brand with so much history is also one that is maturing.

“What we see happening is something that happens to many mature brands. We’re facing the challenge of seeing our demographics getting older,” he explains. “One of our biggest opportunities is to bring a new generation of fans into the sport. While much of our business is in digital sports betting, the live experience is still the most impactful way we can create new fans. That’s what really led us down this path.”

The path the brand is on takes the form of its new platform, “Rule the Day,” which focuses on the excitement, prestige and glamour of horse racing, and especially of the King’s Plate event.

“We’re in the midst of introducing a large range of initiatives to bring that new generation of fans in, whether innovating with new digital or live experiences or growing our reach through digital betting apps,” says Vivenes. “But a big part of it is offering exciting, youthful events built around elite racing. And among all of those experiences we could offer, the Plate is our crown jewel.”

The platform hones in on the key insight that “everyone, but especially younger generations, want unique, one-of-a-kind and memorable experiences worthy of being shared on their social feeds,” he says.

“Horse racing in general – but the King’s Plate in particular – just delivers that in spades. “The speed and thrill of racing, the high fashion, the hats, the whole pageantry of the royal associations, the outstanding culinary experience we offer – every one of those elements is unique to us, it’s memorable and it’s highly relevant to a younger audience and fits how they consume content and the kinds of experiences they’re looking for.”

“Yes, [the King’s Plate] is steeped in 163 years of tradition. But it’s also a thoroughly modern, high fashion, high fun and visceral experience,” adds Rosenberg. “Our strategy and creative was designed for a new, younger audience – to give them the precise feeling of what it’s like to attend that kind of event.”

The platform launched with a four-week media campaign spanning radio, DOOH and digital, along with placements on TSN and CTV. A key part of its marketing strategy was a DOOH buy at Yonge & Dundas Square in Toronto, “the first time we’ve put the King’s Plate and racing in general on that big stage,” Vivenes says.

Looking forward, the brand will also be building out its outreach where younger generations live, with a focus in particular on social media.

To hear Vivenes tell it, horse racing is the perfect sport to consume on social. “It’s fast, and people talk about handicapping and reading the program and how difficult that may be. But the basics of it are easy: it’s a race,” he explains. “It packs all of the excitement into a race that lasts just a couple of minutes. And when you talk about young audiences, it’s the perfect fodder for them. The perfect content.”