Harness Racing New Zealand

Harness racing has been a loved Kiwi sport since 1885. While race meetings are still popular and the on-track action is as hot as ever, the audience is ageing. To ensure the sport’s continued success, Harness Racing New Zealand asked us to find ways to speak to a younger audience.

After visiting race meetings, meeting punters, trainers, drivers and horses and running research groups in Auckland and Wellington, we created two entirely new brands.

The Trots is our public-facing brand that uses everyday language to capture the accessible thrill of watching a dozen horses thundering around a track. Some sporting codes speak to younger audiences by putting the sport in the corner of a boozy party; we put the horses at the heart of everything we do.

Firsties is our event brand. It goes beyond a dynamic, sports-based visual identity to carry an entire programme of curated events for first-timers and their mates.

6 months in, The Trots brand is well established and has created a platform for future comms. The Firsties event series has been piloted across six race meetings and Harness Racing New Zealand has a full event calendar planned for the coming season.