Last year, Sportsbet began a strikingly different betting campaign featuring the Elite Average Games, a so Aussie version of professional sport with its larrikin humour, an endearing superstar, Gary Flynn, the Wheelie Bin Sprint champion and the idea that you can make it look easy with Sportsbet.

The betting campaign deluge continues. Sportsbet continues to stand out. The 2021 campaign, developed by Sportsbet’s in-house team and production partner, Palomina, brings six new sporting events into its fold – Paper Toss, Rhythmic Spillnastics, Beach Shade Wrestling, Reverse Park, Dog Ball Throw and Bindi Walk. The voices of well-known sports broadcaster, James Brayshaw, and comedian, Nick Cody, continue to amp up the fun.

Sportsbet’s head of brand and advertising, Jason Thatcher, commented, “We always aim to connect with our audience through fun and humour. And there’s no better way to deliver that message than with our Elite Average Games campaign, which celebrates everyday Aussies performing in everyday events on the big stage, showing us how to make it look easy with Sportsbet.  

In this year’s Elite Average Games, the Paper Toss gets elevated to a basketball style event with players on court in office chairs and basketball legend, Andrew Gaze, making a cameo appearance as coach. There’s a
wrestler on a mat grappling with the task of folding up a beach shade in the Beach Shade Wrestling. And there’s an Aussie reversing his ute and jet-ski in a perfect manoeuvre taking home the gold in the Reverse Park event.

Sportsbet’s creative director, Rambo Goraya, commented, “For the second year running that global sporting event with the rings we’re not allowed to mention by name could be cancelled, so we didn’t think twice about bringing
back the Elite Average Games and increasing Australia’s quota of gold medals.

“Others may opt to wheel out Hollywood A-listers but the sight of Fabian Frotheez wowing the crowd in the Rhythmic Spillnastics and signing Wheelie Bin champ Gary Flynn as a Sportsbet ambassador felt more our speed.
A big congrats to all our Elite Average Games’ champions. They’re the real stars.”

Paper Toss launched Feb 28 (FTV/PTV/Digital) and is followed by new spots launching each Sunday through to March 28. The integrated campaign is made up of 11 x brand & product 30-second TVCs and is supported by other elements including 8 x product 15-second edits across social media (Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat etc), plus national radio, OOH and major press.

Tim Hernadi, general manager of marketing, Sportsbet, stated “Sportsbet loves to hero the everyday legend and 2020’s Elite Average Games proved extremely relatable and popular not only with our target audience, but those outside of it as well. It’s big and engaging but most of all it underlines the Aussie fun and spirit of just having a crack.”

The tongue-in-cheek spots will be aired across various channels for up to 12 months.

Credits 
Client & Creative: Sportsbet
Chief Marketing Officer: Mark Migliorini
Group Manager of Marketing: Tim Hernadi
Head of Brand: Jason Thatcher
Head of Partnerships and Content: Kathy Schokman
Head of Content Production: Dan Atkins
Creative Director: Raman Goraya
Copywriters: Chris Chard, Shaun Conroy & Hammy Goodman 
Campaign Managers: Olivia Ferrary & Isaac McCallum

Production Partner: Palomina
Production Producer: Kate Merrin
Brand Producer: Rachel Gilkison
Director: Matt Weston
DOP: Marty Smith
Production Designer: Lucinda Thompson
Editor: Jon Holmes

Sound: Final Sound