SapientNitro launch Ladbrokes football bet ads

SapientNitro, part of Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE), has created a new TV and radio campaign for Ladbrokes that taps into the passion and obsession real football fans have for the game ahead of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament and the start of the domestic season.

 

Featuring Tiziano Crudeli, the excitable Italian football commentator and face of the Ladbrokes ‘Game On!’ campaign, the ads humorously explore the question ‘When the football is on, why would anyone talk about anything else?’ With Euro 2012 just around the corner, Tiziano is so excited about betting on such a huge event in the footballing calendar that he simply cannot contain himself – he even interrupts other ads to ensure the excitement of betting on football is their focus.

 

‘Gym’ starts out as a seemingly generic ad featuring the Sky football pundit and ex-footballer, Chris Kamara, promoting the fictitious sports drink ‘Hydraplus’ before an outraged and uncomprehending Tiziano bursts into the spot shouting “football is on!” and causing chaos on set. The 30” radio ads ‘Tools’ and ‘Drains’ satirize those category advertising norms at a time when, Tiziano makes abundantly clear, the only thing they should be talking about is the football.

 

The 30” ‘Gym’ breaks on June 2nd on ITV, broadcaster of the Euro 2012 tournament. It will appear both as a ‘live odds’ ad and as a generic ad. The generic ad will also appear on Sky and around Channel 4 Racing. The campaign is timed to coincide with the Euro 2012 tournament, which runs from June 8th to July 1st, but will extend into the new domestic football season starting in August.

 

The campaign will extend into digital and in-store media.

 

Adam Collett, Marketing Communications Director, Ladbrokes, says: “Our Game On! campaign has been a great success for Ladbrokes over the last 9 months and this new execution takes us even further down the road of delivering the excitement of betting to our customers. Tiziano Crudeli and Kammy are a brilliant, funny and powerful team helping us communicate our brand in a truly engaging and entertaining way.”

 

Malcolm Poynton, Chief Creative Officer, SapientNitro, says: “When a football event like Euro 2012 kicks off, the ad breaks are full of spots featuring ex-footballers promoting everything from Shampoo to ‘Sports’ drinks spots, all taking themselves way too seriously. This campaign wittily captures how Tiziano Crudeli and Ladbrokes are so passionate about football that they won’t allow anything, even another brand’s ads, to detract from the excitement of placing a bet on the game.”