TV ads have the mission to grab your attention in the first 3 seconds. In the highly competitive (and regulated) British gambling industry, operators know that they something more than great offers and bonuses to attract and preserve customers, and the best way is becoming memorable.
Being funny, annoying, dramatic or even controversial, are key strategies to make that key connection with the audience. Gambling operators embraced that fact and over the years the had delivered great stories that had kept in the collective memory.
The following gambling ads definitely made their place in UK television history.
Paddy Power – Jesus TV Ad
It seemed that god’s firstborn has a greater marketing career. Bringing controversy like in his days walking over the water, Jesus appeared promoting Paddy Power as a fellow enforcer of match-fixing and the miracle healer of injured Italian football players, definitely catching the attention of everyone, and raising some eyebrows.
Not surprisingly the ad was banned but in Italy. Maybe it was the religious connotation that move the fiber of the Holy Church, or that a Facebook post from a desperate Luka Pagni wishing a miracle for its team was used. Regardless of the causes or consequences of this ad, it did multiply Paddy Power’s followers.
BGO – Beat The Boss
Having Verne Troyer in the ad makes it quite difficult to pick a favourite on BGO Beat the Boss series. The actor who sadly passed away in 2018 was immortalized playing the demeanour of an extravagant casino boss, who likes to live big, trash talk everyone, and hates to lose.
But is the Beach Life ad that picks the number one spot. The ad was intended to congratulate the “Hilton” screen name of the lucky winner of the £3,8 million jackpot in the game Beach Life where the player made the extraordinary feat with a £10 spin.
Troyer surely caught the essence of what could be the reaction of one BGO directors having to sign the 7 figure check to ”Hilton” while loathing and cursing its defeat. Still, the BGO big man announced that they will continue delivering bigger life-changing opportunities if you beat the boss.
LadBrokes – Free Bet
While Paddy Power remains as one of the most controversial Ladbrokes really caught our attention with their free bet series. Comparing to new bet sites without Gamestop, at Ladbrokes people can really enjoy risk-free sports bets.
Former footballer Chris Kamara features every single advertising of fake products until an over passionate Tiziano Crudeli interrupts the shooting hitting everybody with a football and screaming Ladbrokes “Free Bet” with the same intensity he brought in every match of the Italian league.
It is worth to say that many football fans during matches ended muting their TV as Crudeli “Game on” resonated in their eardrums in every appearance. It might be annoying, but the Ladbrokes ad still remains in every sports fan’s memories.
SkyBet – What if Advert
You don’t necessarily have to be funny to catch the attention of your responsible betting audience.
In its epic one minute ad, SkyBet really captures the essence of behind sports. The hardship that athletes, directors, managers, and everyone involved in any sports event have to endure regardless of all its preparation. Shattered dreams, losing, or giving it all, everything can happen.
What if, homages the uncertainty, the excitement the made us sit on the edge of a stadium tribune or in our home, not knowing what could happen. As events develop and defy all odds until the dreaded or desired climax decides all.
BetVictor – Make Your Best Bet
Another intense advert that remarkably shows that sports are a people’s game. and like all humans, it is beautifully unpredictable.
BetVictor puts in this ad a sportsman facing numerous computers making infinite calculations to decide who will be the next winner. For many, this could be a great asset but in a certain way, it can diminish the remarks that every man in the field is capable of.
The bottom line in BetVictor advert is that no matter how science and technology can analyze and build algorithms s (nothing against it) to weigh all the possible outcomes to offer the best forecast, in the field, or with the bookie, the final decision is still yours.