The UK Premier League is (almost) upon us and it’s become a big ad event too, just like the NFL season in America.
Brands are piling in, including some with a rather tenuous connection to the so-called beautiful game.
Two that can claim a connection are Sky Bet and Puma. For both the theme is ‘fandom,’ love letters to those loyal folk who shell out a fortune to watch games (in person or on TV) and are, mostly, dutifully ripped off by all and sundry.
The bookies make a fortune of course. Football is way ahead of any other sport in parting punters from their money and Sky Bet via agency Anomaly is claiming it’s ‘Not for Everyone. For the Fans’ – “eschewing category clichés in favour of raw authenticity and reverence for the beautiful game’s most loyal believers” it says.
Nicely shot by Elliott Power for Love Song, it does capture something of football fandom’s essence – “It’s the hope that kills you” (it doesn’t say.) As for football betting, a somewhat grey area..
MAA creative scale: 7.
Puma is supplying its Brilliance Ball (it looks like something off a confectioner’s slab) for this Premier League season. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will doubtless blame it for his new number 9’s shots landing in the crowd.
So Puma and agency Dude London are launching the ‘The Biggest Goal,’ a stunt-driven social campaign ending with London’s real biggest goal, Tower Bridge. With Aston Villa and England’s Morgan Rogers.
Nicely done and makes football look fun, not the existential obstacle course as it’s often depicted. Be good if Puma can give Adidas and Nike a run for their money.
MAA creative scale: 8.
