UK gambling ads are full of populist celebs like Peter Crouch, Danny Dyer and Harry Redknapp, but in the US their even bigger budgets draw A-lister appearances from the likes of Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx (as well as Sydney Sweeney, who used to be known primarily as a talented actress until she became more famous for taking her clothes off).
Kathryn Bigelow, another A-lister who was the first woman to win a best director Oscar back in 2010 for The Hurt Locker, is also in on the act, making commercials for online “predictions” platform Polymarket. The line between prediction and gambling is unclear and it’s currently in dispute, where there’s a battle to decide whether it comes under federal or state jurisdiction (both want to claim it so they can tax it), while investors who want looser regulations are saying it’s more like playing the stock market than gambling.
In the meantime, Bigelow has directed two very classy, very female-focused ads on the theme of mid-term election odds and just how easily they can be swayed by everyday life experiences.
As well as the hen party spot about grocery bills, she also addresses the moral dubiousness of politicians – an interesting move given that the ethics of betting on elections are in question even in Trump’s USA, where Congress is considering tightening up the rules.
A third spot was directed by Argentine trio Pantera and is equally strong. All three were produced by Smuggler without the help of an ad agency.
It’s a shame to see Bigelow using her talent on Polymarket, and it says something about the difficulties Hollywood is facing – plus Netflix which has just announced 1,000 job cuts – as well as the lack of opportunities for female directors. But she probably got a big pay check and she’s been able to stay true to her immersive, psychologically intense style.
MAA creative scale: 8
