Running bunnies

Spanning Edinburgh to Bristol, this year’s Great Run series will be held in a variety of locations, for a variety of admirable causes.

Culminating in its most famous event, the Great North Run, 180,000 runners in total will complete gruelling circuits in aid of their chosen charities. Significantly, on 17 July, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, one of the main arenas used during the 2012 London Olympics, will be used to host the end of the Great Newham Run.

Duracell, one the UK’s leading and most recognisable battery brands, is an official partner of the 2016 Great Run series. The notions of longevity and power are two of the brand’s most salient touchpoints, and are the concepts underpinning Duracell’s race involvement.

So important is the concept of determination that Duracell has got behind an integral campaign of the entire Great Run series, in which participants will be encouraged via a series of multimedia messages.

As well as this, and prior to the Great Newham Run which will be held this weekend, a video has been released. Showcasing inspirational individuals for whom running acts as an escape from realities of everyday life – or promotes better habits in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle – the video aims to emphasise the positive physical and mental effects of adopting a lifestyle.

Featured are Christopher Goddard, Maxine Langtree and Emma O’ Gorman. Each individuals story is featured to act as an inspiration for the scores of people undertaking Great Run events during 2016.

In addition, Duracell’s iconic ‘running bunny’ advertisement will be broadcast across the UK later in this summer. To provide encouragement for Great Run participants, individuals adorned in the classic Duracell bunny pink colour scheme will be scattered about the course, acting as ‘pacemakers’.

It is hoped their presence will inspire Great Run athletes while encouraging endurance and power – much like the battery brand.

Alex Haslam, marketing manager at Duracell UK, says, “One of the key successes of the partnership is the strong and instantly understandable link between Duracell and running. The Great Run Series gives us a wide reaching platform to bring our brand messages to life to an engaged audience.”

Haslam continues, “Historically, our connection to running has been strong, with the Running Bunny being an iconic symbol of how Duracell products last longer than the competition and with over 30 years of experience, Great Run is the running series that lasts longer too! With this campaign we’ll be helping runners across the UK, from experienced marathoners to complete novices, unlock the power within and take their performance to a new level.”

Nicky Homes, commercial director at the Great Run Company says, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Duracell to the Great Run family. We’re looking forward to working with them to inspire the runners of the UK to get out and run, and achieve their personal goals. The addition of another leading global brand to the Great Run sponsorship portfolio shows the continued strength of the series, which sees more and more UK runners taking part at our events every year.”

Duracell worked with integrated communications agency, Hill & Knowlton Strategies, to broker its partnership between the company and the Great Run Series.

Hill & Knowlton will also implement the Duracell campaign across media channels, as well as emphasising key Duracell brand touchpoints to reach as wide an audience as possible.