Australia's National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) is shifting gears, launching a media campaign via Murmur Group to ignite fan enthusiasm and build anticipation for the upcoming summer championship series.

It's the first campaign since Murmur Group was appointed to the business earlier this year, signalling a fresh approach to the NDRC's marketing strategy.

The campaign is set to spread across various platforms including OOH, Radio, Programmatic, Youtube, Meta and BVOD. It aims to target NDRC's dedicated fan-base of car and bike enthusiasts within the 22-65+ age demographic, covering all 16 events. The campaign is set to reach its peak with a grand final in June 2024.

Craig Sue, Media Planning Director at Murmur Group, said the agency's mission was to build excitement for NDRC's 2023/24 events and deliver against previous attendance targets. This required the team to implement a data-led strategy for the first time in collaboration with organisers, venues and sponsors.

"We used previous ticketing and venue data to analyse and map location, demography and purchase intent of NDRC's fan-base so we could focus the media strategy on where ticket purchasers are, including consideration of purchaser planning and travel lead times. The insight was then used and developed across full funnel media activations aligning with purchase intent and timing; plus, the campaign messaging is adapted contextually online and offline, to maximise awareness and consideration," Sue explained.

"Strategic planning and media placement for 16 different events across multiple channels is a huge logistical challenge, but we are confident the media strategy is on target to reach as many existing and new fans as possible."

The NDRC represents a new era for Australian drag racing, with various categories having the opportunity to race in one national championship series. The Aeroflow Sportsman Championship calendar will run alongside NDRC events, providing more opportunities for racers across the country to compete for a national title.

Andy Lopez, co-promoter of the NDRC, saw Murmur as the strong partner to take motor racing excitement to market. "We are confident the fans will flock to the events in droves as a result of the campaign," he stated.

The NDRC calendar features six events headlined by the Australian Top Fuel Championship and the remaining four events headlined by Nitro Funny Car. The series will culminate in an all-in final at the Winternationals held at Queensland's Willowbank Raceway in 2024.