Starters Orders Delayed for Kentucky Derby in Touching Spot

Energy BBDO has launched its first campaign for Woodford, an homage to the delayed Kentucky Derby – the second time in its 146-year history.

The film, titled ‘My Old Kentucky Home’, recognises the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, The Kentucky Derby. Filmed at a vacant Churchill Downs, where Derby 146 was scheduled run this Saturday, it features Kentucky Cellist Ben Sollee playing solo in the Derby Winner’s Circle.

The video will go live at NBC this Saturday during the re-air of the legendary 2015 Kentucky Derby that began American Pharaoh’s historic Triple Crown (from 3pm to 6pm EST).

“My Old Kentucky Home is a song that’s been played on the Kentucky Derby for over 80 years and we didn’t want to break that tradition” say Energy BBDO co-chief creative officers, Josh Gross and Pedro Perez. “It’s amazing that a song from 1850 speaks so perfectly to this moment in time” add the CCCOs.

The imagery of the iconic Twin Spires - along with vacant stands, track and starting gate – were all shot with drones in order to comply with the safety and social distance rules by Energy BBDO internal studio, Flare. And all of this work, from the conception being approved to being on-air was done in less than two weeks. 

“When we started to work from home, two months ago, the thought of doing remote edit sessions seemed really time-consuming” says Casey Cobler, managing editor at Flare. “The reality has been that we are just as fast, if not faster, than when everyone was at the agency. Technology allows us to involve everyone in the process from creative to account to strategy without having to send cuts around the office awaiting a response”, adds Casey.

Woodford Reserve, the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby is proud to support the Churchill Downs and NBC initiative, Kentucky Derby at Home on Saturday, May 2nd. #KyDerbyAtHome.

The Kentucky Derby has been postponed for just the second time in its 146-year history - the first being in 1945 when World War II pushed the race from May to early June.