To show off all the unexpected possibilities of the Sydney Spring Carnival, we redesigned the world’s most impractical fashion accessory from the turf up.

Partnering with Lady Gaga’s couture shoe designer, we created the Trojan Heel – a shoe packed with eight high-tech features which showcased to all Australians the unexpected experiences of a day at the races.

Proving that the Carnival is so much more than just the horses, the features included everything from leading the wearer to live entertainment and VIP areas, to paying for their champagne. It was accompanied by a bespoke app, allowing the wearer to track their journey and even book a car home with three taps of the heel.

While the media snapped at their heels of influencers who wore the shoes, we reimagined what the high heel could do, and in the process redesigned what a day at the races meant to millions.

We knew that the ‘ambassador-in-front-of-media-wall’ PR approach that racing had relied on for years was tired.

The big issue with all the campaigns that had gone before ours, was that they generated talkability after the Carnival. To drive ticket sales we knew we had to get people’s attention before. So we designed our media strategy to do just that.

We captured content of the shoe being made and shared it with media, influencers and across social media when ticket sales opened. Personality and E! Australia host Ksenija Lukich wore the shoe ahead of Colgate Optic White Stakes Day in a series of TV, print and online media exclusives.

We then put the Trojan Heel to the test on four Carnival days (Colgate Optic White Stakes Day, TAB Epsom Day, Moët & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes Day and The Everest Race Day), with a stable of seasoned racing enthusiasts including Kate Waterhouse and Abbey Gelmi.

Ahead of each race day, our influencers talked to how the heels were ready for anything, inspiring them to unlock all the possibilities of a day at the races.

The results showed that when people knew about all the things they could do at the Carnival, attendance increased:

· 15% increase in pre-purchased online tickets sales

· A further 15% increase in general admission ticket sales

· 80% of pre-purchased ticket sales came from 18–34-year-olds, bringing a new audience to the Carnival

· 33,512 people attended The Everest Race Day, setting a new attendance record for Royal Randwick

Media attention also grew, with 59% of coverage appearing before the Carnival even started. Results included:

· 536 pieces of earned media across TV, radio, print and online

· 209 million audience reach

· 180 TV features

In a sports and entertainment landscape where there remains a clear delineation between the action and those watching the action, the races offers up something unique.

With only 40 minutes of racing during a 6 hour race day, the day is as much about what happens off the field as on. From some of Australia’s best hospitality to world-class live entertainment, the reality is that the horse racing is only the beginning.

Our strategy was to capture this unique experience and show how at the races, the audiences is elevated from passive viewer to protagonist…a place where racegoers should expect the unexpected.

To deliver against this, our campaign revolved around a real-life demonstration of what unexpected highlights a day at the races can offer.

Australia is a sporting nation. Throughout the year, Aussies invest hundreds of hours watching mainstream sport and entertainment events. Either chanting in stadiums or spectating from their phones, a game is available to watch anywhere, anytime.

Whilst all of these epic sporting events were building to their most highly anticipated moments of the season…The Sydney Spring Carnival was just beginning.

Our challenge was to encourage existing racegoers and infrequent millennials to attend the Sydney Spring Carnival at the height of footy finals, by finding and communicating the unique experience the ATC create for ticket holders - where horses are only the beginning of the action.

The objectives were to increase pre-ticket sales by 10% vs Spring 2016, and increase general admission ticket sales by 10% vs Spring 2016.