500 Festival

STAR Financial Bank wanted to strengthen awareness of both its brand and the 500 Festival Kickoff to May event by creating an engaging, community-focused contest experience. The challenge was to simplify participation while seamlessly connecting the campaign to the bank’s existing marketing ecosystem, allowing every interaction to build stronger relationships with current and prospective customers.

The Ferguson team partnered closely with STAR Financial Bank to bring the Racing Through History contest to life through a streamlined digital experience backed by integrated campaign support. We developed an intuitive entry process that connected directly with the bank’s CRM platform, while supporting the broader initiative with paid media, organic social content, public relations and media outreach. By working together to remove friction and amplify the campaign across multiple channels, we created an experience that was both engaging for participants and valuable for the client.

Our collaboration delivered measurable results. By simplifying the contest strategy and entry experience, participation grew from just 51 entries to nearly 1,100 in a single year—an increase of over 2,000%—helping STAR Financial Bank expand its reach, increase engagement and strengthen its connection to one of Indiana’s most celebrated traditions.