Last week, Richmond, Va.-based BES Studios and its client, Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), were awarded the prestigious Telly Award in recognition of a 60-second television commercial titled “Virginia Wins With Horses” submitted to the annual competition honoring excellence in video and television across all mediums.
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BES Studios and VEA were honored with the “Silver” award in the Travel & Tourism Regional Television category, the highest achievement awarded by the Telly Awards jury, a diverse organization of more than 200 executives from television networks, production companies, global agencies, immersive content studios and streaming platforms worldwide.
The Telly Awards celebrate the best creative work in television and video, for every screen, annually. Receiving more than 12,000 entries from six continents and all 50 states, the Telly Awards winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, broadcasters, production companies and publishers worldwide. The Telly Awards recognize work created on behalf of a client, for a specific brand and/or company, or self-directed as a creative endeavor.
VEA, whose mission is to sustain, promote, and expand horse breeding and racing opportunities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, has launched a multimedia campaign called “Virginia’s Economy Wins Through Horses.” BES Studios collected hours of authentic footage, selected from a daylong video shoot at four major locations—Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Shenandoah Downs Racetrack in Woodstock, Eagle Point Farm in Ashland, and Audley Farm in Berryville. The footage highlights the state’s economy, tourism, jobs, careers, and agriculture.
VEA then forged a strategic partnership with Virginia Broadcast Solutions (VBS) and the Virginia Association of Broadcasters (VAB) to develop a comprehensive advertising plan to highlight the profound economic and social impacts of the Virginia horse industry, emphasizing the integral role the industry plays in contributing to the prosperity of the Commonwealth. The campaign included television, radio, digital, streaming, and social media, with different ad versions often running concurrently across different platforms. Over an eight-month period from October 2023 to May 2024, the campaign generated a total of 90,146,579 impressions.
The primary focus of the ads’ messaging is the $542 million economic impact of the horse racing and livestock industry on Virginia’s economy. The number of jobs supported by the industry is 5,209, and the total estimated economic impact of horse racing events and visitor spending is $68.7 million per year.
Also of note is the significant impact the Virginia Certified Thoroughbred Residency Program has had on Virginia’s economy. This initiative requires out-of-state Thoroughbreds to reside at least six consecutive months on a Virginia farm before their third birthday. Once certified, horses that graduate from the program can compete for prize money at qualifying races. The program has an estimated economic impact of $86.2 million from 2017 to 2023.
Jill Byrne, VEA’s Vice President of Strategic Planning, is responsible for managing communications campaign projects from inception through creative, production and budgeting.
“We are thrilled with the results to date and look forward to continuing to promote agribusiness, the economic benefits, jobs and vibrancy of Virginia’s thriving horse racing and breeding industry through innovative venues,” said Byrne. “It is also a great honor to receive the Telly Cup on behalf of the incredible team here led by BES Studios and all the horses and riders who contributed to the project.”
Samples of the entire campaign, along with a video of the winning points, can be found at virginiahorseracing.com website.
This press release has been edited for content and style by the BloodHorse team.
