Betfair uncovers Ashes betting controversy involving former England captain Michael Vaughan in new ad campaign via M&C Saatchi
M&C Saatchi Melbourne has whipped up a fresh betting controversyfor Betfair in a highly integrated campaign whose final phases launchwith the first Ashes Test tomorrow.
In thecampaign former Ashes winning England captain Michael Vaughan is outedas the ultimate “Urn-coat” – betting against his own country withBetfair during the Ashes.
The campaign centres on Vaughan’s attempt to hide his identity as a ‘Betfair Australian’, and explain why his money’s on Australia for this summer’s Ashes.
Momentum was built via two unbranded viral video clips that were seeded this last week before prior to the official launch.
These clips, including one where Vaughan steps up and punches an interviewer, have already received over 150,000 plus hits between them.
The frenzy was heightened via a Twitter conversation between Vaughan and former Australian batsman Darren “Boof” Lehmann alluding to the viral footage and the large media interest – including posts on The Sun and Sports Illustrated.
Vaughan’s more than 40,500 followers were suitably intrigued by Lehmann’s tweet that the viral of the former England skipper was “All over the internet, even the Guardian has picked it up”.
The paid for media component centres around three humourous 30 second snippets of the Vaughan interview. The campaign will also roll out in print, a dedicated Facebook account that will link Betfair and Vaughan’s Twitter account and outdoor executions.
Vaughan will also spend today – the eve of the first test – conducting a series of interviews with Australian radio stations.
Betfair Australia marketing director David Pisker said: “What could be a simpler expression of our value proposition than having the Ashes-winning Captain of an English cricket team turning his back on Queen and Country to take advantage of Betfair’s superior value on Australia this summer.
“A cracker of an insight and concept from M&C Saatchi Melbourne that we believe will engage cricket fans and punters alike.”
M&C Saatchi Melbourne creative director Doogie Chapman said it was “crucial to build the intrigue with a bona fide Ashes figure who was willing to have a bit of fun with this”.
“Michael Vaughan fitted that bill perfectly.”
6 Comments
His hair hat is a dead giveaway. Should’ve pixelated the yeah yeah fringe.
All the links go to the same, badly acted commercial.
Contrived.
Had potential with the talent but looks and sounds like a kelloggs ad.
It’s amazing how complex you apparently need to make ideas now.
I hate this strategy as it highlights one of the big problems in cricket. And this kind of shit has history: Lillee and Marsh betting against Australia in England on the last day of a match they were playing in, for example.
Shouldn’t, and I believe won’t, resonate with genuine cricket fans.
5.32
Is it something to do with the growth of online which allows ideas to be far far more complicated than ever before. I’m not necessarily knocking it, but it’s a very different way of thinking to when I started in the business and had to distill every idea to its pure core.
I’m not going to make any value judgements cos I don’t want to be slagged. It’s just an observation.