TAB launches emotive tribute to racing’s grass roots in latest campaign via M&C Saatchi, Sydney
TAB launched the next edition of its ‘Long May We Play’ campaign on Saturday – a stirring and emotive 90 second television commercial developed by M&C Saatchi Sydney, celebrating the contribution of grass roots racing industry participants across Australia.
The cinematic commercial, shot in black and white, takes viewers inside the real life of participants from the three codes of racing during all hours of the day as they strive for success on the track.
A tribute from the TAB – which is racing’s biggest funder – to the tough and unrelenting work that goes into success in on the track, the ad‘s tagline is ‘Beside you since the crack of dawn, 1961’ reflecting TAB’s proud racing heritage.
The new TVC underscores TAB’s approach with the Long May We Play campaign, which was to move beyond the standard approach wagering advertising, in which the exclusive focus on offers and products drowns out connections to racing, sport and community.
Tabcorp managing director – wagering and media, Adam Rytenskild said TAB was proud of its longstanding relationship with Australian racing and its contribution to the Australian community.
Says Rytenskild: “Long May We Play celebrates Australia’s racing and sports culture and the role it plays in bringing us together.
“The latest TVC features participants who do the hard yards for the industry they love. We wanted to recognise their efforts and celebrate their unsung achievements.
“We’re entering the biggest time of year for racing and we’d like to celebrate the thousands of participants across the country who help make the Australian racing industry one of the best in the world.”
The ‘Long May We Play’ campaign launched in early September and is the first major campaign for TAB since M&C Saatchi’s appointment as its creative agency in January.
The new TVC was shot over five days in seven locations across three states.
M&C Saatchi Chief Creative Officer, Cam Blackley said the team was incredibly proud of the new TVC: “Unlike its competitors, TAB has always supported the grass roots of racing in Australia.
“We’re incredibly proud to produce work like this with no pretences; that celebrates the unsung heroes, hard work, early starts, heart break and hope which is the reality of the Australian racing industry.
“These are real people, unadorned, doing what they love brought to you by the brand that has been a true partner for over 50 years.”
The TAB Long May We Play campaign is one of the biggest brand repositionings in recent wagering history and the largest change to the overall TAB brand.
The campaign builds began in September and runs through AFL and NRL finals reaching a peak through the spring season of racing. It spans TV, radio, print, digital, outdoor, social, as well as in-venue along with promotions tied to key sporting events.
The campaign is designed to reflect what TAB represents as a brand and our role in the community.
Client: TAB
EGM Marketing & Customer: Luke Waldren
Head of Brand & Marketing: Kent Madders
Senior Marketing Manager, Racing: Ben Willis
Marketing Manager, Racing: Matthew Silk
Marketing Coordinator Racing: Jessica Moodie
Agency: M&C Saatchi
Chief Creative Officer: Cam Blackley
Creative Director: Guy Futcher
Writer: Cam Blackley
Chief Strategy Officer: Justin Graham
Senior Strategy Director: Nick Jacobs
Group Managing Director: Russell Hopson
Group Account Director: Jasmina Porter
Senior Account Director: Will Woods
Senior TV Producer: Carolyn Starkey
Production Company: //Thirteen & Co
Director: Patrick Filleti
Executive Producer: Charity Downing
Producer: Warren Zulu Keuning
38 Comments
What is that on the opener? Is that a machine designed to make horses walk?
A disgusting sport. Animal abuse.
I haven’t been outraged about anything since yesterday so I’m outraged about this. It’s outrageous that we should show real horses and real footage of how they’re treated. We need to show more photoshopped bloodbaths. I can’t believe gambling blah gambling.
There’s so much right with this, but so much wrong with it.
Firstly, it’s yet more advertising for gambling, the normalisation of which is anathema.
But to the spot itself:
Pretty pictures, but an annoyingly pedestrian voice-over droning on in conflict with the pictures, draining away the drama of the cinematography.What a desperately poor choice. Wasn’t Sir Lawrence Olivier available?
The end line makes about as much sense as it does in the rest of the campaign: No sense.
Let’s see the 60 sec cut-down, with far, far fewer words blathering on.
And let’s see a whole lot less advertising for gambling.
The horse dragging the man at 36 seconds is visibly distressed.
Greyhound racings real grass roots… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-07/the-downfall-of-nsw-greyhound-racing-after-live-baiting-scandal/7577250
Makes my skin crawl. Yuck.
Seeing grainy, black and white footage of horses and greyhounds while droning orchestral music plays doesn’t remind me at all of those heartbreaking videos of animal abuse. Last thing on my mind watching this.
I caught this O/A and it’s everything I hate about horse racing. Nicely shot though.
How many commercials can you rip off in one go?
Everything bad about ads in one spot.
Its sad from beginning to end.
Sad for the horses and the dish-lickers.
Sad that there’s a horse rising on its hind legs, corralled in a small iron enclosure in the middle of giant open pastures – open pastures its no doubt desperate to escape to.
Sad that everyone looks so bloody miserable that even Gai Waterhouse can’t raise a smile.
Sad that on one viewing you’re left with only one conclusion – that the life of these animals is to do nothing more than train and run fast.
Nothing else matters.
TAB may well have long supported racing, but this is no celebration.
I hate gambling ads with all those demeaning representations of blokes and how stupid they are. This is beautiful.
I must be morally corrupt given the above comments but I really liked it.
A bit peaky blinders. Good job Cam.
And to the above – that’s horse racing. They break them in a bit more than your pet pony.
Congratulations your winning/wise/smug observation, “B”. You’ve won today’s “Piece of shit” award.
Nice, so beautifully shot, who was the DoP?
subtle self-endorsement 😉
Hate horse racing and anything promoting animal cruelty and bottom barrel humans, aka punters. But at least the Sportsbet ads are funny and poke fun at the idiots who bet. This is a sad ad about sad people.
M&C please stop.
When you can’t polish a turd, make it black and white… This is very lame.
It’s upsetting to see this kind of crap being put out consistently by agencies, sorry creative agencies.
Can we all be a little more responsible with our positions and consider what we’re creating and why.
This is terribly sad to see so many talented names alongside it.
Hey ‘nothing new’,the only nothing new thing about your comment is the unwillingness of superior pricks like you to put their name to their high moral ground judgements.
What a coward.
Clearly made by people who know f**k all about real ‘grass roots’ racing.
Lets all rally together and never work on racing because it promotes animal cruelty. Lets also never work on fast food or confectionary because it contributes to childhood obesity, or financial institutions ripping off hard working Australians. Lets never work on gaming because it relies on the racing industry to survive whilst feeding off the broke mums and dads feeding their kids fast food and confectionary.
Lets just all quit our jobs and show the world we all care! Together, united as one.
Didn’t think so.
Dear Moral Crusader,
It’s racing.
The campaign is Long May We Play.
That last word – play – is important.
Play – have fun, celebrate, joyous, live life.
It’s why the ‘masses’ go to The Everest, or the Spring Carnival in Melbourne?
I have no issue with racing or betting, but this is sad from beginning to end.
It no more makes you feel connected with racing, or ‘playing’ than a car crash would.
That’s not a moral crusade, that’s a POV I share with the majority of those who have viewed this spot.
M&C are as good as it gets, but this doesn’t do them, or racing justice.
Yours sincerely,
Sad sad sad
Thanks MC; your high horse is waiting in barrier six. So better shut the f*ck up and ride well in race 3 , the Ethical Handicap. Pipe down.
It’s unanimous then: we in advertising are whores, horse racing is stupid, sad and cruel, and betting is dumb, dumb, dumb. I totally agree, in case anyone thinks I’m being ironic. But if you shoot it nicely in black &white…
Where’s the DOP credit. Looks wicked
I’m guessing all those people going on about racing won’t be going to a Melbourne Cup lunch.
Everyone on here ragging on gambling and horse racing is missing the point. THE EARTH IS DOOMED! WE WILL BE UNDERWATER IN A DECADE OR TWO! SO GET PAID, GET LAID AND GET ON TE AKAU SHARK IN THE TAB EPSOM ON SATURDAY! YIEW!
I’m with you man/lady – advertisers are a bunch of hypocrites who would stab a horse to death with a toothpick if it got them a leg-up.
“The campaign is designed to reflect what TAB represents as a brand and our role in the community.”
This is just really bad marketing. Horrific. What’s the ideal consumer response? They see this ad and feel better about the brand? Is that how this category works? I’m willing to bet (pun intended) Sportsbet is absolutely killing them.
Take your head out of your arses. It’s self-indulgent crap and an absolute waste of money.
That’s gotta sting for all the creatives in M&C Saatchi? Oh, there are none? I see.
DOP credit: Campbell Brown
How versatile is Cambell Brown? First a glittering career in the AFL, then Brownlow red carpet expert comments and now this.
What do people think horses would do if horse racing didn’t exist? Nothing. There’d be no need for them. Ex race horses end up in pony clubs.
There simply aren’t words to express to stupidity of your comment. All I can suggest is an online IQ test. And a calculator to add up the single digit result.
What a load of self indulgent, fogettable, tosh. This is “the brand campaign” every rubbish agency tries so hard to sell, and a disappointing summary of the industry’s woes. I’ll wager a year’s salary that at best this will be forgotten in minutes and at worst; make a pernicious brand and category even more predatory. M&C continues to bring up the tail in the race to the bottom.
The half-rhyming copy is pretentious, weak and irrelevant. Clearly written by someone who has no connection to horses or racing. At least read a bit of Banjo Patterson to prepare for a job like this. Crass, no class. Embarrassing.
Does anyone know who did the music for this?