Global betting firm William Hill launched an upbeat new master brand relaunch debuting to leverage spiking sporting interest around the UEFA Champions League Final and ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 kick-off which celebrates a shared passion for sport and heralds the return of the public to major sports events.
Positive in tone as life in general and sport in particular begins to open up again after the pandemic lockdown in some of its key markets (such as the UK and the USA), the campaign is led by a hero television commercial set to the Neil Diamond favourite ‘Sweet Caroline’ which shows a series of vignettes of real friends enjoying life and sport and celebrates the unforgettable moments they share.
The creative features a strong team of William Hill ambassadors such as former jockey AP McCoy and footballers-turned-pundits Jermaine Jenas, Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage enjoying these fun moments with fans.
Premiering in the UK on 28 May, ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ was shot across 16 locations in London during April and kicks off what many hope will be a summer of unforgettable sport and gaming.
Let the good times roll. Join us to kick off the sweet summer with some unforgettable sport and gaming. Oh, and we’re bringing a few friends along for the ride! #SweetCaroline pic.twitter.com/7FFpc4xbOb
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) May 28, 2021
The campaign also includes a safer gambling ad as, earlier in 2021, William Hill and several other major betting companies committed to use 20% of their advertising slots to raise awareness of safer gambling, including making people aware of tools such a deposit limits and time outs.
While below-the-line assets which dovetail with the spot’s tone and the new brand positioning and which aim to unite customer communications so William Hill appears as a single brand while still accommodating the nuances between sportsbook and gaming.
The work was created in-house by lead creatives Richard Barrett and James Manning and was directed through Merman by ex-professional rugby players turned directors Nico and Michel Arribehaute.
The media agency is Wavemaker.
Further international takes on the campaign will roll out ahead of UEFA Euro 2020: these will follow a similar creative approach whilst celebrating unique differences of each of the countries and markets.
“We are excited about the launch of the new campaign and the master launch of our iconic global brand,” said William Hill Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Emery. “William Hill is a brand that is loved and respected across the world, and it was really important for us to unify our global brand under one single identity. We wanted an iconic sporting song for the advert, and we were delighted to be able to get ‘Sweet Caroline’. It is a song that spontaneously gets friends singing together. It was the perfect song for our campaign. We were delighted with the passion and drive that Nico and Michel brought to the project. The fact they played rugby professionally gave them a unique understanding of the passion of sport. I am thrilled with the results. They nailed the brief.”
“I have been with William Hill for over 12 years. They are a great company to work with, and it was great fun being in the advert with my mates Rio, AP and Jermaine,” added Savage in the campaign PR material.
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