Neil Patrick Harris lends his signature charm to the latest campaign for DraftKings' Golden Nugget Online Casino, featuring an original song crafted by MAS (Music and Strategy) and lyrics from DraftKings. The campaign’s tagline, 'Make Any Moment Golden,' celebrates players transforming everyday activities - such as fishing or visiting the dog groomers - into golden experiences.
DraftKings’ creative team provided the brief, requesting a fun, original song based on their lyrics. MAS then collaborated with composers to create multiple musical options for the campaign’s spots, working to ensure the final piece perfectly aligned with the campaign's vision.
Drawing inspiration from Neil Patrick Harris’s energetic, charismatic, and swagger-filled performances, the guiding question throughout the creative process was humorously, "What would Neil do?" With this mantra in mind, MAS crafted a song that truly encapsulates his unique style, with his character and vocal talent significantly shaping the final track.
For the team, one of the most challenging aspects was creating various versions for the spot. While the first track took a month to perfect, subsequent versions needed to be completed quickly, with lyrics that fit within the approved musical framework. Additionally, unique vocal performances were required for each version, necessitating new melodies and arrangements.
Knowing Neil is a baritone, MAS composed the song within his vocal range. Interestingly, the composer’s scratch vocals were remarkably similar to Neil's, adding an extra layer of authenticity during the development phase.
Joey Reyes, executive producer at MAS, comments, “The collaboration between MAS and DraftKings throughout the entire process was seamless. Being on set was just another place for us to help out whenever we were needed. Neil, being the consummate professional that he is, killed it on set! He made our jobs very easy. Everyone just let him go and do his thing.”