Paddy Power sticks the boot into the billionaires ruining football
The campaign comes from the creative agency BBH; it's the second in the partnership.
Following a summer that’s seen more takeover bids than an entire series of Succession, bookmakers Paddy Power has homed in on the absurdity of the billionaire takeover trend in this fun spot.
The ad opens with footballer Peter Crouch on pub TV about a club’s recent takeover bid. The camera pans to a fan vowing that their club has ‘something that money can’t buy’ - history, legacy, community.
His impassioned speech is interrupted as a fellow fan bursts through the doors to announce that an oil baron has bought the fictitious Hardlypool FC.
Without missing a beat, the disgusted fan’s frown is turned upside down as he suddenly bursts into a version of Ginger Rogers’, ‘We’re in the Money.’ Leading a troop of fellow fans in song and dance, they emerge from the pub as the celebrations spill on to the street.
Going into full-scale footie chant mode, the group sings, “Gone are my ethics and gone are my fears; we’ve been mid-table for too many years.” But there’s a sting in the tail when the ringleader of the troupe arrives at their newly minted grounds and attempts to buy a season ticket for his club before being told there is a 12-year waiting list.
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Tow Muldowney, head of marketing, sportsbook at Paddy Power, said: “Football has put the oil in loyal of late, with fans changing their tune faster than Jordan Henderson when a Saudi-backed billionaire rolls up in their gold-plated sports car. We couldn’t resist a sheik-y dig at the utter absurdity of it all.
“And don’t even get me started on Jay-Z! But at the heart of this advert is the excitement of the start of the season that fans of all clubs feel up and down the country. Football, you gotta love it.”
The campaign will be further amplified on social media, out-of-home (OOH) and radio placements.
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