It was a real win-win for St Johns Shopping Centre when the Grand National came to town.

Shoppertainment, St Johns Liverpool and Rivington Hark collaborate with William Hill to light up Liverpool ahead of the highly anticipated Grand National.

The centre – in the heart of Liverpool – worked with the leading bookmaker and the event’s Official Betting Partner, William Hill, to transform the 465-feet high iconic St Johns beacon into a stunning screen for the company’s latest campaign.

Using state of the art video mapping and working with Double Take – who created the stunning visuals and managed the projection, St Johns Beacon – which has been part of the Liverpool skyline for over five decades, took on a very different appearance on the lead up to the Aintree Festival.

“It was a truly winning performance,” said Centre Director Neil Ashcroft. “Our team worked closely with William Hill to turn things around in days to make the whole thing work. Collaboration was really the key here.

“And the client won fantastic exposure from this unmissable visual show-stopper. It just looked fantastic, especially against the night sky, when there were tens of thousands of racegoers in the city.”

Shoppertainment have been the commercialisation partner for St Johns Shopping Centre for over a decade, ensuring income is maximised and unforgettable experiences are created. Over the years, a number of new and unique promotional areas have been unlocked including the iconic 457 ft St Johns Beacon.

Lyndsey Rowlands from Shoppertainment, St Johns commercialisation partner, said: “The team at St Johns are always supportive of us doing something that provides a wow factor and this activation certainly did that, providing William Hill with a fantastic opportunity to make a massive impact. The sensory experience ensured anticipation was built for the Grand National and created a deep connection of nostalgia by looking back at the heritage of this national event that people travel miles to attend.”

William Hill’s Racing Sponsorship Manager, Mark Walton, said: “The Grand National is one of the most famous races in the world, and we wanted to make something truly stand-out that lights up Liverpool as the nation gears up to be Grand National ready.

“By combining state-of-the-art technology with a stunning short film encapsulating everything that makes the Grand National so unique, we are proud as the event’s official betting partner to say we have lit up Liverpool as the nation geared up to be Grand National ready.”

Social and print media featured the tower, with 22 pieces and counting of media coverage, including Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Independent, Irish Mirror, At The Races, Racing Post, Racing TV, Yahoo and MSN. Content featured on William Hill’s social channels also amassed over 1 million impressions and 100k engagements, with plenty of support from William Hill’s stable of racing ambassadors.

“People always say how striking the beacon looks – this just took it and the content to another level, literally!”, said Neil.

To find out more about Shoppertainment visit their website: www.shoppertainmentmanagement.co.uk