John Smith's plans Liverpool takeover for Grand National day

The campaign, created by integrated marketing agency Steam UK, will build on the humorous 'No Nonsense' take on horseracing unveiled before last year's event.

A series of racing-themed executions will appear on more than 330 outdoor and railway media sites across the city - more than double the number used in 2010 for the Heineken UK-owned bitter brand.

The outdoor ads include a giant 250 square metre hoarding on a city centre hotel which heralds the return of the race with an image of a horse’s rear with the strapline: ‘It’s back’.

The campaign will also feature prominently around Aintree in the form of racecourse signage and branding, race card ads and ambient media sites including two grandstand stairwells which will be transformed into 20-metre high cans of John Smith’s.

Around 150,000 spectators are expected to attend the three-day meeting at Aintree from 7 to 9 April, which is predicted to attract a global TV audience of more than 600 million people on the last day.

John Smith’s senior brand manager Karen Crowley said the activity would ‘build engagement with consumers and tap into the famous wit and humour that is synonymous with Liverpool’.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk