Wonderhood Studios’ first work for Coral shows a high energy horse race where the fans are the jockeys. The riders include a “ladies’ day lady,” “Maggie and her cuppa,” and “Danny’s stag do boys.” Out in front is “The bloke who doesn’t know which horse is his.”
It’s a fresh take in a betting market that’s pretty crowded. The fans are a popular focus for sports brands at the moment, and also a lot cheaper than hiring in big name celebrities. Mother’s new agency Run Deep and M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment have both put “fandom” (or “fancom”) at the heart of their offering.
Geared around the Cheltenham Festival, the “We’re here for it” campaign includes broadcast sponsorships and a brand takeover of Cheltenham Spa station as well as TV, radio, OOH and digital. Wonderhood won the business in September after BBH resigned it in 2022.
Entain interim CMO Jeremy Hemmings, said: “Our new ‘We’re here for it’ campaign platform [recognizes our] strong customer relationship. This first work in the new campaign represents a gear change for the brand as we project a richer, more entertaining personality, establishing a distinctive new territory within the category.”
Guy Hobbs, joint ECD at Wonderhood Studios, said: “This fresh brand platform injects some energy into an iconic British brand. While the category often lacks authenticity, we set out to celebrate the real racing and gaming lovers of the UK. So to all the fans out there, whether you’re an armchair expert or a stag do legend, we hope you see yourselves in the work.”
The campaign is directed Keith McCarthy through Object & Animal. He said: “I loved the scripts the moment I read them. It was Mad Max meets Martin Parr. Portraiture powered chaos. The audience wasn’t just observing the action. They WERE the action.”
As far as betting ads go, it’s a winner.
MAA creative scale: 7.5
