For the first time in a while, I’ve been hearing ads for Laurel Park on the radio as I drive in to work this week. This particular round of spots is promoting the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash this Saturday and it really does makes me glad for horse racing that the track owners are spending the money for some real advertising.

With that said, the ad is just plain weird. It tells a short father-son story about an afternoon at Laurel Park. But the way it’s told and the low timbre of the voiceover makes me think I’m listening to a horse racing version of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” only without the violins.

I was also so distracted by the odd voice that I only caught what the commercial was actually about the second time I heard it. And I still don’t really get the point of the story…if there was one. It kind of rambles for a bit, then ends abruptly. I always like a good “and the moral of the story is…” kind of ending. This is definitely not an example of that.

Anyway, check out Laurel Park’s Facebook page to hear the ad (posted on its homepage in the left column). Is this doing a good job of appealing to a younger audience? You be the judge.

I’ll just say this: compare this ad to the Charles Town Races & Slots song (…they’re right down the road, where the action is hot!) and it’s like night and day in terms of appeal and memorability.

Laurel Park’s ad was produced by Elevation, a marketing company in Washington, D.C. The Leffler Agency in Baltimore is still the track’s agency of record and did the media buys for the ad.