Paddy Power and Peter Crouch Say Everyone Deserves Another Chance with First Dates

Paddy Power Games has announced the next chapter of their TV sponsorship, joining forces with Channel 4’s jewel in the crown dating show First Dates. To celebrate this perfect partnership, Paddy Power and BBH have created and released a series of tongue-in-cheek idents bringing the signature Paddy Power mischief and laugh-out-loud moments to the ultimate numbers game: finding love.

Set in Paddy’s very own ‘Café du Chance’, and featuring a selection of classic cameos from Paddy Power’s star ambassador Peter Crouch, the idents pay homage to the most awkward of dating moments, from cringe filled bill paying to questionable table manners, all in the name of love.

Each ident perfectly represents the cheeky chat, funny flirting, and ridiculous dating drama everyone seems to have gone through, with some of the scenarios including wrong name mishaps, awkward intros, pet peeves, misreading the vibes, a very big faux pas around a family member, as well as a host of hilarious seasonal twists.

Sponsoring one of the nation’s most beloved shows gives Paddy Power the perfect opportunity to engage and entertain gamers. Dating – like gaming – is full of moments where you wish you could have another chance, and the idents celebrate these iconic moments that make the ‘First Dates’s partnership a match made in heaven.

First Dates sits at the heart of the Channel 4 schedule, and these idents will be shown during series-bursts throughout the year across Channel 4 and E4, plus repeats and regular streaming.

Media buying and planning was handled by EssenceMediacom.

BBH creatives Chloe Neal and Ciara Boyle said, "Unfortunately, like many people, we’ve had our fair share of bad first dates. Fortunately, this made for some great source material when it came to creating Paddy Power’s ‘First Date’ idents. Since Paddy Power gives you ‘another chance’ to win, we wanted to tap into all of those dating moments where you wish you could have another go. From super stingy dates, to premature ‘I love you’s’, to mummy’s boys… we reckon Cafe du Chance has a little something everyone can relate to."

Leah Spears, head of brand strategy for Paddy Power said, “First Dates and Paddy Power Games is the perfect match. It really is love at first sight! Just like in our games, you never know what might happen next, and that surprise and excitement is something we share with First Dates. We’re all about fun, entertainment and giving people the chance to take a chance – we think we’ve found our perfect partner. We’re excited to join the fun and add a little extra excitement to one of the nation's most-loved programmes."

Liam Dawson, managing partner, EssenceMediacom, said, "Partnering with Paddy Power Games and Channel 4 on this campaign has been a breakthrough in leveraging premium content to create deeper audience engagement. By aligning Paddy Power's playful brand identity with the unpredictable charm of First Dates, together we've delivered a campaign that not only entertains but also keeps the viewer coming back for more - proving when it comes to great content, it's always worth taking another chance."

Rupinder Downie, content solutions leader, Channel 4 said, “This partnership underlines Channel 4 Sales’ unique ability to generate solutions which elevate partnerships and brand association, aligning with our content, to deliver world class creative, engagement and impact.”

There are 19 films in total which will be sponsoring First Dates on Channel 4 for the next 14 months.