Clarke RacingStarlight ‘High Five’ Concept Overview

Background

On the 3rd to 6th March, racing driver Andrew Clarke will be contesting the season opening event of the V8 Supercars at Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

The event draws some of the largest crowds ever seen for a sporting event in the southern hemisphere, with over 286,000 passionate race fans congregating over the weekend.

With a festival atmosphere, a packed racing schedule and heaps of off-track activities, there’s something for everyone.

Andrew will be driving in the Aussie Racing Cars category, a series going from strength to strength with over 40 other cars in the race.

This concept outlines the opportunity to partner with Clarke Racing to produce something truly unique, memorable and importantly, newsworthy.

The Concept

Having run the London Marathon for Starlight Foundation back in ‘09, and having two mentally disabled nephews, Andrew has a strong connection and belief in Starlight Children's Foundation. This concept brings to life the notion of the charity; to grant wishes to ill children, with the visibility and passion of the race weekend to drive both awareness, and donations.

Across the race weekend, Andrew and his team will be encouraging parents with kids to ‘high five’ the bodywork of his Aussie Racing Car. To make the concept more fun and engaging, kids will have the opportunity to apply a small amount of paint to their hand to leave a colourful print on the car.

‘High Five’s’ are regarded as a gesture of luck, and therefore brings an element of emotion to the concept; kids effectively passing on luck to other kids who need it.

For every ‘High Five’, a donation will be made to Starlight on their child's behalf.

Amplifying the Concept

Clarke Racing is looking to partner with a group of companies to make this concept a reality. There are a number of integrated elements which require support from specialists. Those are:

1. Vehicle wrapping company – the car will be matt white with the Starlight charity logo down each side (along with mandatory category sponsors).

2. Paint supplier – to add vibrancy, we’re looking to partner with a paint manufacturer who will supply the paint and sponges to apply it.

3. Media partner – we are looking for interest from local and national media who’ll be offered exclusive access to the team, driver and car prior to the race, and during the race weekend.

4. Promotional staffing agency – to facilitate the concept, we’re looking for support from a promo staffing agency to join the team and interact with race fans.

Concept Timings

The event takes place in Adelaide from the 3rd to the 6th

of March. We plan to take the concept to the local children's hospital in Adelaide on either the 2nd or 3rd for a PR call where we’ll have Andrew, the car and local media on hand to witness the first hand prints going on.

The car will then be at the track from the evening of the 3rd until the end of the event on the 6th. It is anticipated that during this time, the concept will be continually rolled out as more and more fans visit the track and leave their hand print on the car.

By the end of the race, we’ll count up the hands and announce the final donation to Starlight via Fox Sports. We’ll have a representative from Starlight at the track to receive the check and have a photo call with Andrew, and the Clarke Racing team.

Local media will then release stories from the Monday to cover the event in detail.

Why the ‘High Five’ Concept

In truth, sponsorship is the only means for a brand to connect physically with an audience. Through a carefully managed campaign, we have the opportunity to not only improve the race weekend experience of race fans, but importantly contribute to the incredible work done throughout Australia by Starlight.

Andrew is humbled by his nephews bravery and approach to life, and this concept has been personally developed by him as a way of giving back to other less fortunate children.

The Starlight ‘High Five’ is a simple, cost effective and charming idea that has the potential to capture the hearts and imaginations of all those who experience it, either first hand or via amplified propagation.

This is the purest demonstration of the power of sponsorship and the effect it can have on those around it.

Press Announcements

Clarke Racing & Starlight

Having run for Starlight in the 2009 London Marathon, and having mentally disabled twins in the family, the work of Starlight has a special meaning for Andrew. Clarke Racing and Starlight have teamed up for the opening round of the 2016 V8 Supercars event at Clipsal 500 where Andrew’s Aussie Racing Car will be adorned with not just the Starlight branding, but with the painted handprints of hundreds of kids.

The Starlight High Five concept was first conceived by Andrew as a way of engaging with the younger race fans and giving them a fun and interactive way to get involved in the event while demonstrating their support of other sick and ill children.

The team at Clarke Racing have also teamed up with Australia’s largest paint producer, Inspirations Paint who’ll supply the various vibrant colours across the weekend. Inspiration Paint will also be making the donations on kids’ behalf to Starlight for each hand print on the car!

You can see Andrew and the team down at the Women’s & Children Hospital in Adelaide on Tuesday 2nd March, or down at the support paddock at the Clipsal 500.

Clarke Racing & Inspiration Paint

Clarke Racing and Inspirations Paint have teamed up in an audacious move to create an emotional and poignant demonstration of both product and passion.

The team have come together for the opening round of the 2016 V8 Supercars Series at Clipsal 500 to support and drive awareness for the work done by Starlight Children's Foundation to help sick and ill children.

With true inspiration at its core, the team have produced the ‘Starlight High Five’ campaign, an opportunity for race-going kids to ‘high five’ the side of Andrews Aussie Racing Car with a painted hand to make a donation to improve the lives of less fortunate children.

It’s a moving concept that demonstrates the power of sponsorship in connecting passionate fans to a truly inspirational cause.

You can come and see Andrew and the Inspirations Paint team on Tuesday 2nd March at the Women’s & Children's Hospital in Adelaide, or down in the support paddock at the Clipsal 500

Clarke Racing

People discover their passions in life in a number of different ways. For Andrew Clarke, he found his passion for racing through the work he did coaching a kids karting club during the summer holidays. As is often the case, one thing led to another, and Andrew found himself with a professional racing license and, as he describes it, the toughest challenge on earth ahead.

Racing never came easily for Andrew, as the pressures of funding his career took their toll. Years of stop/start seasons made progress slow, but Andrew refused to bow down to the pressures.

Fast forward to 2016 and Andrew is about to demonstrate to the Australian public just how powerful a sponsorship campaign can be in connecting hearts and minds. Teaming up with Starlight Children’s Foundation; a charity Andrew ran the London Marathon for in 2009, and Inspirations Paint, they have formed the ‘Starlight High Five’ campaign.

The campaign breaks ahead of the opening round of the V8 Supercars Series at Clipsal 500, and invites race-going kids to leave a painted handprint on the side of his Aussie Racing Car as a symbol of support for the children who need it.

Andrew has funded the race weekend himself and will be supported across the weekend by volunteers and the team at Inspirations Paint.

You can meet Andrew and the team at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Adelaide on Tuesday 2nd March or down in the support paddock at the Clipsal 500.

Contacts & Support

Andrew Clarke – Clarke Racing

0498647137

clarkeracingis@gmail.com

Octagon

Ben Hartman – Managing Director APAC

Ben.Hartman@octagon.com

Copyright Clarke Racing 2016