Gambling companies are coming under increased fire for bad practice – Ladbrokes’ owner Entain was fined £17m this week – but their advertising seems to keep getting better.
Maybe it’s a last hurrah before the regulators get heavy, but Ladbrokes is MAA pick of the week, and this playful spot for Paddy Power from Droga5 London is just as good. It stars Peter Crouch, now something of a national treasure, dramatizing his zeal and passion for football and displaying a talent for self-deprecation.
Traktor’s direction brings a colourful and witty edge to Droga5’s first spot for the brand, which randomly makes references to movies like Dirty Dancing and American Beauty, and does a good job of getting viewers excited about football without taking it too seriously.
Paddy Power brand and marketing director Michelle Spillane said: “We’re not just a football brand, we’re an entertainment brand so a shot of nostalgic movie tropes was exactly the vibe we were after. We want to see punters spit out their crisps when they see it for the first time in their local.”
MAA creative scale: 8
