Saudi Cup 2023 Case Study: How THE ONLE Delivered a Record-Breaking 360° Marketing Campaign

Introduction

The Saudi Cup is more than a horse racing event—it’s one of Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious international sporting occasions and the world’s richest horse race, offering a prize pool of $20 million. Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the event has become a global symbol of Saudi Arabia’s ambitions under Vision 2030.

In 2023, THE ONLE was entrusted with managing the entire creative and marketing journey of the Saudi Cup. From strategy and campaign planning to creative production, media buying, public relations, and performance optimization, the objective was simple:

Deliver the biggest Saudi Cup campaign ever while maximizing marketing efficiency.

This case study explores how the campaign achieved remarkable engagement, nationwide visibility, and outstanding advertising performance across digital and traditional media.

 

The Challenge

Promoting an event of this scale required balancing several objectives simultaneously.

The campaign needed to:

• Increase awareness locally and internationally.
• Position the Saudi Cup as a premium global sporting event.
• Drive ticket interest and audience engagement.
• Maintain a unified visual identity across every platform.
• Achieve maximum ROI without increasing advertising costs.

Unlike many event campaigns, success wasn’t measured only by impressions—it required measurable business performance across multiple channels.

 

The Strategy

THE ONLE developed a fully integrated 360° marketing strategy built around three pillars:

Creative Storytelling

Every visual asset reflected the prestige of the Saudi Cup while celebrating Saudi culture and heritage.

Data-Driven Advertising

Campaigns were continuously optimized using audience insights and real-time performance monitoring to improve efficiency.

Omnichannel Presence

The campaign combined:

• Google Ads
• Instagram
• Twitter (X)
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Outdoor Advertising (OOH)
• Public Relations
• Media Coverage

This ensured consistent messaging throughout every customer touchpoint.

 

Creative Execution

THE ONLE managed every stage of execution, including:

• Overall communication strategy
• Campaign planning
• Creative concepts
• Professional photoshoots
• Video production
• Social media advertising
• Media relations
• Performance reporting
• Campaign optimization

Every asset was designed around one objective:

Create excitement before, during, and after the Saudi Cup.

 

Digital Marketing Results

The campaign generated exceptional reach across every major platform.

Platform	Impressions	Visits
Twitter (X)	105.5M	6.18M
Instagram	72.3M	1.09M
Snapchat	35.9M	88K
TikTok	19.1M	118K
YouTube	14.6M	42K

Total Results

• 247.5 million impressions
• 7.5 million visits

These numbers established one of the strongest digital performances for a Saudi sporting event.

 

Google Ads Performance

Paid search campaigns exceeded industry benchmarks.

Results

• 1.65 million impressions
• 20,600 visits
• CTR: 2.37%

The campaign outperformed the market average CTR of 2.04%, demonstrating highly relevant messaging and precise audience targeting.

 

Instagram Campaign Performance

One featured Instagram video delivered exceptional results.

Results

• 3.57 million impressions
• 114,234 visits
• CPC: $0.013

For comparison, Instagram campaigns typically achieve CPCs between $0.50 and $1.00.

The remarkably low cost reflected:

• Strong audience segmentation
• High-quality creative
• Clear messaging
• Continuous optimization

 

Twitter (X) Performance

The campaign also delivered outstanding efficiency on Twitter.

Results

• 161,419 impressions
• 15,200 visits
• CPC: $0.016

This represented approximately 95% lower CPC than average market benchmarks while maintaining high engagement.

 

Engagement Growth

Perhaps the most impressive achievement was audience engagement.

During the campaign:

• Engagement increased from 2.0% to 5.4%
• Total ad watch time reached 79.7K minutes
• Daily watch time averaged 4.7K minutes

These improvements were achieved without increasing campaign budget, demonstrating significant gains in marketing efficiency.

 

Nationwide Outdoor Advertising

Digital advertising was supported by an extensive nationwide OOH campaign.

Billboards were strategically placed across major Saudi cities and highways to ensure:

• Continuous visibility
• National brand consistency
• Maximum reach
• Strong awareness before the event

The combination of digital and outdoor media created a seamless audience experience throughout the campaign.

 

Public Relations & Media Coverage

Beyond advertising, media outreach played an important role in amplifying the Saudi Cup’s international reputation.

The campaign strengthened awareness of:

• The world’s richest horse race
• Saudi Arabia’s leadership in global sporting events
• Vision 2030 initiatives
• National pride and cultural identity

Through strategic communications, the campaign expanded earned media exposure while reinforcing the Saudi Cup’s global positioning.

 

Key Results

✔ 247.5 million impressions

✔ 7.5 million visits

✔ CTR above industry benchmark

✔ Instagram CPC of only $0.013

✔ Twitter CPC 95% below average

✔ Engagement increased from 2.0% to 5.4%

✔ 79.7K minutes of video watch time

✔ Nationwide OOH coverage

✔ Comprehensive PR and media management

 

Why This Campaign Succeeded

Several factors contributed to the campaign’s exceptional performance:

• Integrated 360° strategy
• Strong creative direction
• Data-driven optimization
• Consistent cross-channel messaging
• Efficient media buying
• Continuous performance monitoring
• High-quality storytelling aligned with Saudi culture

Rather than focusing solely on reach, every campaign decision was measured against audience engagement and return on investment.

 

Conclusion

The Saudi Cup 2023 campaign demonstrates how a well-executed integrated marketing strategy can transform a world-class sporting event into a nationwide and international success.

By combining creative excellence with performance marketing, public relations, and strategic media planning, THE ONLE delivered more than 247 million impressions, generated millions of audience interactions, and achieved advertising efficiencies far beyond industry averages.

This project stands as a benchmark for sports marketing, integrated campaigns, and large-scale event promotion in Saudi Arabia—showing that exceptional creative work is most powerful when backed by measurable performance and strategic execution.