Standard Life is to become the new headline partner of Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.
The sponsorship will begin in 2023 and last for three years. Standard Life will be prominently shown throughout Race for Life’s extensive marketing effort, which includes radio and television. Additionally, Standard Life will be present at all Race for Life activities and will interact with local communities all throughout the UK.
In addition, a brand-new Standard Life tv ad will transport people who are nearing retirement to their former workplaces as they reflect on whether it is time to combine their pensions.
The commercial, which was made by Stephen Pipe, is scheduled to debut at the end of November. It will be supported by associated radio, digital, social and outdoor activity and can be viewed here.
Since the first Race for Life event was held in 1994, more than 10 million individuals have participated, raising more than £920m. The activity will help Race for Life continue to collect money for cutting-edge research into more than 200 types of cancer. The sponsorship will cover both the 30th year of Race for Life and Standard Life’s 200th anniversary.
Standard Life chief marketing officer Sangita Chawla says: “Standard Life is incredibly proud to have been selected as the lead sponsor of Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life which is one of the country’s best-known and much-loved charity event series. With cancer affecting one in two people, the sponsorship provides us with a chance to encourage participation in Race for Life events up and down the country to raise money for vital research.
“The sponsorship comes as we are stepping up our investment in the iconic Standard Life brand and our new advert represents a major milestone in our plans. It also underpins our commitment to ensuring we are relevant for our customers in this difficult economic environment and recognises the important role pensions can play in helping people to prepare for the future.
“This is also why our advert talks to our brand values of representing typical savers, our heritage in workplace pensions and our focus on providing digital customer experiences.”
Standard Life chief executive Andy Curran says: “The activity we’ve unveiled today represents a new chapter in the long history of the Standard Life brand and reflects our commitment to ensuring we build on the high levels of awareness and the brand is visible and relevant in the years to come. Since Standard Life became part of Phoenix Group we’ve been investing in the support and propositions available to customers and are now seeing considerable success in the workplace and bulk purchase annuity markets in particular. The investment in the brand will play an important role as we look to build on this success and expand our presence in customer-facing markets such as retail savings.”
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell says: “We’re delighted to welcome Standard Life as the new headline partner for Race for Life. Almost three decades since it began, Race for Life is still one of the most popular fundraising event series in the UK, giving people the opportunity to celebrate and remember loved ones affected by cancer and raise money for pioneering research.
“Working together on this new partnership with Standard Life, we can continue the incredible success of Race for Life and raise more money to help fund life-saving research. Sadly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime* but thanks to brilliant partnerships like these, we can continue our vital work to bring about a world where everybody can lead longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”