Dabble introduces its desperately-needy brand ambassador Roger the Real Human in new campaign via DDB Group Melbourne
DDB Group Melbourne has launched Dabble’s first major integrated campaign, and with it, a new brand spokesperson who may in fact not be a real human at all.
Dabble is an innovative wagering platform with a difference, providing an immersive social betting experience for customers. Via its unique Copy Bet product, Dabble enables customers to copy bets from other real humans.
Roger the Real Human appeared on the Dabble app a few weeks ago as a new betting tipster, seeding bets within the Dabble community that have since been copied thousands of times. He’s been chatting with fellow punters, creating multis, and failing miserably to act and talk like a real person. And now, he’s gone live in advertising as well, with various activations and campaigns planned across upcoming major sporting events.
Says Psembi Kinstan, executive creative director, DDB Group Melbourne: “Roger’s a great ongoing creative vehicle, he’ll stand out in the cluttered market, and he’s odd as hell. Three brilliant things to achieve for the campaign and the wonderfully ambitious Dabble team.”
Musing on Roger and life, group creative director James Cowie adds: “Like all of us, Roger is aware of the ultimate tragedy of his existence.”
You can interact with Roger on the Dabble app or, if you’re particularly unlucky, stumble across his profile on Grindr or Tinder.
Says David Galbally, GM brand and consumer marketing, Dabble: “Dabble is excited to be working with DDB, which showed a great understanding of the Dabble brand and the market opportunity. In an industry full of copycats, we wanted to highlight a significant differential which makes betting easier, ironically called Copy Bet. The fun thing about Roger the Real Human is he lives on the app and contributes to the in-app experience which is very important for us.”
Adds Roger: “I CANNOT WAIT for the Cox Plate!!!!!!!! A bevvie with the girlies and boys is so on the cards. YTG!!!!”
The campaign was shot by Jesse James McElroy via the Producers and created by DDB creatives Gabrielle Sandell, Olivia Daniele and Dabble creative Mark Tompkins, GM brand and consumer marketing David Galbally, and content manager Tom Stevens.
30 Comments
Client creative now working on production. That’s a dangerous precedent. In other words, it’s the client ad.
Probably shouldn’t be associated with your online gambling platform. Lol.
Go Gab and Liv!
So American, excellently done.
pretty fresh. puppetry is good. I can’t tell if the grinder thing is serious though, they should show that.
ten points
bad
Very confused.
pretty good
This is awesome!
fuck yessssssssss, liv and gab killing it, so random so goood
…and I’ll look forward to watching it on TV again, even if I hate gambling.
Is funny
Sorry. This is bland. The idea is thin. The oddball brand stuff is so yesterday’s trend, which it takes a lot to get the humour and wackiness right. Which this fails to do. So much promise.
Far too many complicated communication points in one ad, let alone one introducing a new betting entrant with, according to the PR blurb, new and unique features. I spent two viewings trying to understand the message without success.
Absolutely no idea what is going on or why. Utter waste of money
is pretty bloody straightforward, wrapped up in good stupid character, me likey
We need more of this, please
Watched this like 20 times already today.
Would have made sense of this
I agree with your insightful prose. Oddball brands are so yesterday. I prefer my brands to be generic and perfectly uniform. That’s the fresh and contemporary way.
“Go on, have a dabble” – for a gambling company? really?
Yuck.
Jmac 4 the Win, very funny man.
This feels like an ad for ad people, not punters. I actually rate the Dabble product. It’s fun and social and innovative. But this ad captures none of that. It’s way too weird and can’t see it connecting with the target audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTItTm5Y48o
Weird is good. I hate gambling and most of its ads, but I get what it’s trying to tell me and dig the humour.
Bad writing. Confused idea. Try hard humour. I give the brand 6 months now. Well done DDB you put your interests ahead of the client. Selfish and self serving.
Just compare this to the old spice ad. This thing is not only flat but derivative of old spice that plays in this zone so much better. A wacky approach gets you to the starting line. And when it’s not raising the bar beyond all the other brands doing the same thing, it gets forgotten quickly. It takes good leadership and knowing how to get the best out of the strategy idea and execution. This fails on all of those. Amateur.
This and the Old Spice spot both owe a lot to the old Jimmy Fallon text to voice sketches (Walter Kump). For those too young to remember or care, here ya go.
https://vimeo.com/142732953?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=695279
Good job Jesse. Well done to you and the team