A flotilla of American sports fans flock to Aussie shores in new campaign for TAB via M&C Saatchi
A couple of Aussie mates stand on a beach gazing out to sea. Foreboding music plays as ominous shapes begin to appear on the horizon. One of the guys takes out a pair of binoculars. ‘What do you see?’ his mate asks…. ‘Americans’, he replies.
Thus begins the hero piece of film content developed by TAB’s creative agency M&C Saatchi Sydney, in what transpires to be an epically uplifting celebration of TAB’s new US Sports offering and the desirability it holds for sporting fans.
With partnerships across the NFL, MLB and NBA TV and backed up by a best in category app and venue vision offering; exclusive content and product including Same Game Multi, TAB is without doubt the most desirable destination for US Sports fans in Australia.
This is dramatically emphasised in the main film, the first project to be directed by Nick Kelly at his new operation MOFA, by showing the lengths that fans will go to in order to experience TAB’s US Sports offering. A flotilla of hardcore American sports fans flocking to Aussie shores which creates a spectacle of the energy, hype and theatricality that is so synonymous with these sporting codes.
Says Cam Blackley, chief creative officer, M&C Saatchi: “This is a big entertaining campaign to herald an incredible set of partnerships that TAB has struck to bring value to a whole new set of sports nuts. It was a highly ambitious shoot and a lot of fun to make with the talented Nick Kelly of MOFA fame.”
Says Luke Waldren, executive general manager marketing, customer and product, TAB: “US Sports are the fastest growing codes in the wagering category and so it’s important for us to provide content, products and experiences that meet the demands of Australian fans. This campaign does a great job of showcasing our best in-market offering, whilst amplifying the fandom that is so unique to US Sports.”
The campaign will be live across TV, digital, social and in-venue media.
Creative Agency: M&C Saatchi, Sydney
Chief Creative Officer: Cam Blackley
Creative Director: Chris Cheeseman
Creatives: Nicole Conway, Tim Batterham, Chris Cheeseman, Cam Blackley
Acting Head of Strategy: Nick Jacobs
Group Managing Director: Russell Hopson
Group Head: Emma McJury
Senior Account Director: Charlotte O’Brien
Account Manager: Kurt Griffin
Project Director: Dean Trendler
Head of TV Production: Loren August
Senior TV Producer: Sarah Cowen
TAB
Luke Waldren – Executive General Manager – Marketing, Customer & Product
Kent Madders – General Manager – Brand, Marketing & Content
John Vellis – General Manager – Media & Sponsorship
Luke Feddema – Senior Marketing Manager – Sport
Will Evans – Marketing Manager – Sport
David Marsh – Marketing Manager – Sport
Michael Nicholson – Marketing Coordinator – Sport
Edward Keir – Marketing Coordinator – Sport
Production Company: MOFA
Director: Nick Kelly
Executive Producer: Llew Griffiths
DOP: Campbell Brown
Edit: Bernard Garry @ The Editors
Post Production: Resolution Design
VFX Supervisor: Tim Dyroff
Colourist: Matt Fezz
Flame Artists: Stu Cadzow & Tim Hannah
Sound & Music House: Rumble Studios
Sound Designer: Tone Aston
Composer: Jeremy Richmond
Sound / Music Producer: Katie Harper / Michael Gie
Media: OMD Australia
24 Comments
Apparently all Americans are white
That felt wayyy too long. Could be cool as a 30″ spot though. Too repetitive.
Giant Covid breach on the horizon.
Whoops. Forgot to take out the reflection of the set in the binoculars…
Big, mad, fun…
Well spotted but that’s not the only flaw in the online
Well spotted @scrimmage, also 2 identical boats and crew at 0’58.
TAB allows Aussies to enjoy US Sports and not Americans to enjoy Australian sport.
But not very good.
Have had a pretty strong output this year.
I don’t think this is amazing. Comedy dialogue is hard but it’s better than most, and a confident attempt with a solid insight behind it.
It’s in a better place than it was a few years back, that’s for sure – climbing the ranks of desirable Aussie shops
It’s a miss for me. 2 out of 10 at best.
Made me smile.
Lame jokes. Felt like a lamb ad from a few years back.
Could have been funnier, but still pretty good.
Nice stuff Cam and co.
And given most of us only think ‘Australian horse racing’ when we think ‘TAB’, it helps nudge that on… so job done.
this is not funny, how did it miss the mark? it should be funny as it is a good concept but just isn’t
humour, a bit of a better build up or tension, clearer link to the teams/mascots or whatever they are trying to do?
Was there a version of this ad that had actual jokes in it? Or anything funny? Was there a COVID gag that got cut? Boat people? Or a Trump flotilla thing? Cos this flat dog whistle is flat out dog shit.
Music and unnecessary dialogue really make this drag. This version was better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZlhzENCGLw
Has client confusion written all over it.
… being an actual punter and watching this and thinking – ‘these jokes are so woeful it makes me want to watch less US sport’. Find someone with an actual idea about your product to write about it. This is so embarrassing.
Forced and unfunny
2020….it just keeps giving.
given the start to 2021 at the capitol building few days ago I think we’d be looking at boats of aggressive White Americans diffrenly … but seriously as this is advertsing (and much more important) this feels like a missed opportunity in execution.