Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, is a brave advertiser. Too brave is a question it’s fair to ask. Its signature style, which it calls “cheeky” and rather a lot of people call “offensive”, has resulted in the company becoming famous throughout the world, mostly for one thing. So many ad bans.
Undaunted, the company showed a Russian man spray-painting a polar bear with the England flag, St George Cross, in its first World Cup ad this year. In the newspaper version, the ad’s headline reads, England ‘til I dye. Paddy Power has released a two-minute explanation for the campaign that has been pilloried.
It has also done something else provocative, but not so readily censured – at least not in most countries. In Russia, appropriating its World Cup for the LGBT+ cause is sure to be seen as nasty. Paddy Power has promised to donate £10,000 to LGBT+ causes for every goal scored by Russia. Working with Attitude Magazine, Paddy Power states that it intends to use the money to:
- “Challenge LGBT+ prejudice on and off the field
- Support footballers and those in the game in coming out
- Fund educational programmes in schools and colleges
- Make grass-roots teams safe spaces for LGBT+ players”
And, most importantly:
- Wind up a few gammon-headed Russian homophobes – perfect
Of course, its tone and manner in delivering the promise was questionable:
- “Plus, we’ve listed the help of a team of backers. From Caitlyn Jenner to Christopher Biggins, and Nigel Owens to Lianne Sanderson.
- Basically, if you’re not supporting Russia at this tournament – you’re a loser. Who needs Gareth Southgate when you’ve got Gareth Thomas?
- Give the home nation’s suspiciously easy group, it seems implausible that they won’t bag a goal throughout the tournament… But, just in case, we’ll be donating a minimum of £50,000 anyway. Bravo, I say.”
But its agency, Chime, as also come up with a new World Cup campaign that has used the company’s “cheeky humour” to be delightfully creative. Without the offensive part. Perhaps its title is a subliminal promise by Paddy Power to behave in the future. Perhaps not? Either way, it’s one of the great World Cup ads so far.
Credits:
Creative agency: Chime
Deputy executive creative director: Matt Lever
Art director: Ben McCarthy
Copywriter: Seb Housden
Producer: Ed Mueller
Business director: Ben Boyles
Senior account director: Myles Cryan
Account managers: Matt Strutte & Joe Humphries
Planner: Daryl Frost
Media agency: MediaCom
Production company: Rattling Stick
Director: Andy McLeod
Production company producer: Stuart Bentham
DOP: Stuart Graham
Offline editor: Eve Ashwell @ Assembly Rooms
Post-production: Big Buoy
Colourist: George KMPC
VFX supervisor: Jim Allen
VFX producers: Barny Wright & Charlotte Shearsmith
Audio: Parv Thind @ Wave
