With the betting industry being super-competitive, it is up to various bookmakers to stand out from the crowd. Television is usually saturated with advertisements from bookies desperate to claim more customers. Here are five of the most memorable.

Ladbrokes – ManWave ProScalp

Ladbrokes have toned down their ads in recent years, but there is still this one to remember. Featuring Chris Kamara – “Kammy” – this ad starts as a spoof commercial for shampoo, but along comes co-star Tiziano Crudeli who urges ‘Kammy’ to concentrate on betting with enhanced odds and forget about everything else.

It ends up with an attractive woman – that is massaging Kammy’s hair – being hit in the face with a football and Kammy’s towel being whipped from him by Crudeli in a slapstick sketch.

Paddy Power – Betting against your team

Paddy Power have not been scared to delve into the controversial; the Cheltenham Chavs commercial, for example, was banned after showing a man shooting a group of chavs with tranquiliser darts as they spoiled a festival.

But, one which was allowed to stay was the betting against your team. It features a customer placing a bet against his own team, forcing him to change his identity. His name – Gregos Traitorelli – and his new side – Athletico Kebab – had the viewer in stitches.

Bet-at-home – Life is a game

One that pushed the boundaries, bet-at-home features members of the clergy playing a game of football whilst nuns watched. This commercial has an obvious message – life is a game with one of the nuns flicking her cross towards the goalkeeper’s eyes to allow her favoured side to score.

With its unexpected twists – such as a member of the cloth taking his religious hat off to head the ball – bet-at-home nails what an advert should be about – witty, attention-grabbing and unforgettable.

Skybet – Nothing’s certain

Not all memorable adverts have to be humorous. Skybet’s “nothing’s certain” ad features the drama of football rather than a slapstick scene. It’s a powerful scene and highlights just how much football means for those running out on the field.

Paddy Power – Blind football

Paddy Power feature for a second time in this list, and, is there any reason why? This particular advert received a number of complaints, mainly because a fixture between two blind football teams ended with one of the players kicking a cat because he thought it was the ball. Ever the inventive company, Paddy Power pulled the cat out of the bag with this one.