Sportsbet has brought back former Olympian Ben Johnson to front its latest Spring racing marketing campaign called ‘Puntmas’.
Johnson, the 100m gold medallist and world record holder who was banned for substance abuse, is again employed as the bookie’s brand endorser for a fresh campaign promoting a new retail platform that enables punters to cancel bets mid-way through a race.
The phone-betting app brand believes that the new platform will enable both it and its customers to ‘stay nimble with offers and racing specials for the entire Spring racing Carnival’.
The campaign kicks-off with a lead long-form online spot called ‘The Night Before Puntmas’.
This launch ad is followed by several shorter spots showcasing Sportsbet’s unique Puntmas offerings – such as ‘The Fold’ (which comes in 30-second
and 15-second versions).
These films are further supported by a set of radio ads.
The campaign was developed in harness with Australian creative agency BMF.
“There’s a true build up of excitement around Spring Racing, punters look forward to it all year and Sportsbet’s ‘Puntmas’ season seizes ownership of the carnival in a way only they can do and topped off with a second helping of Ben Johnson,” explained BMF executive creative director Cam Blackley.
Comment:
Hints of comic Christmas campaigns already?
More Ben Johnson?
This is certainly a somewhat softer marketing approach than its last spot starring the sprinter: indeed, the it follows the controversy surrounding the previous Johnson-led Sportsbet TV commercial which was banned for making light of drug use
The ad – which featuring Canadian drug cheat next to words ‘putting the roid in Android’ – was found to have breached Australian advertising standards by the ASB because it made light of the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport.
This controversial spot, which was packed with puns and double entendres steroids, was the subject of many consumer complaints and an official sanction from the Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority.
Links:
Sportsbet
http://www.sportsbet.com.au/
http://bit.ly/SportsbetYouTube
http://www.facebook.com/sportsbetcomau
http://www.twitter.com/sportsbetcomau
http://plus.google.com/+sportsbetcomau
BMF
