Alan Brazil’s association with Cheltenham has inspired a new online game. The game, titled ‘Project: Cheltenham’, allows fans to take control of the talkSPORT presenter and help him get to his breakfast show on time for the big day.
Project: Cheltenham Game Details
The game is a fast-paced, three-level sprint through chaotic scenarios. Players must guide Alan past hazards, detours, and distractions. Power-ups from talkSPORT stars and Alan’s wife Jill are available to collect.
The game is available to play at projectcheltenham.talksport.com on mobile. It will also be playable at the talkSPORT Battle Bus in Cheltenham during the festival. Racing fans can try to get Big Al to air on a fully branded arcade machine.
talkSPORT’s Perspective
Will Martin, Head of Marketing at talkSPORT, commented on the project. He stated that Alan Brazil and Cheltenham are synonymous with one another. He added that it’s one of their biggest weeks of the year and they wanted to bring listeners into the story.
Martin said that ‘Project Cheltenham’ turns a familiar Gold Cup Day talking point into something fans can take part in. He says it puts fans in control of whether Alan makes it to the show.
Creative Team’s Input
Dan Northcote Smith, Creative Director at MOSAIC, also shared his thoughts. He said that for a brand like talkSPORT, you don’t just broadcast generic messages to the world of sport, but create ads that speak to their fan base, in the voice of their fan base.
Northcote Smith added that the joy of having such a passionate audience is that it lets you lean hard into in-jokes and deep cut shared references. He mentioned that, in this case, it’s Alan’s propensity to miss Gold Cup day at Cheltenham. They turned this story into a game, stuffed full of talkSPORT talent and their signature brand of chaotic humour.
- Marketing Manager: Darren Hedges
- Art Director/Developer: Stuart Foy
- Creative Director: Dan Northcote-Smith
- Innovation Lead: Chelsea Carson
- Business Director: Ant
Campaign Support and Coverage
The launch is supported by a paid and owned campaign. It is designed to bring talkSPORT’s Cheltenham coverage to life and invite audiences to take part. The campaign runs from Tuesday 3 March until Thursday 13 March 2026, across various platforms.
The campaign is playing out across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, email, in app, on air and in press. Media planning and buying was handled by Hello Yellow, targeting horse racing fans across the UK on Meta, Snapchat and YouTube with support in press, on-air and via email. Hosting and quality assurance for the game were provided by TOAST.
Horse racing fans can follow all the action as the talkSPORT Breakfast Show and Hawksbee and Jacobs broadcast live from Cheltenham Racecourse. Commentary of every race will be live across the talkSPORT network.