Paddy Power has brought back ex-footballer Peter Crouch and his wife Abbey Clancy, who featured together in its ad marking the start of the football season last year, to front its new horse-racing betting campaign.
The ad looks forward to racing's Cheltenham Festival, which takes place on 16-19 March, and urges punters to "Feel like a favourite".
Created by VCCP, the 60-second spot shows Crouch preparing to watch Cheltenham from home, while commentators Matt Chapman and Gina Bryce appear in the background making wry comments.
The ad opens with Crouch in bed, waving his huge feet as he watches the racing. Clancy throws her husband a pair of lucky pants, before Chapman appears from under the covers and says of Crouch: "And here's the Cheltenham favourite, number four, Definitely Punching." As Crouch goes through his wardrobe full of various football shirts, Chapman adds: "He's moved stables a lot," a reference to Crouch's career playing for 12 different teams.
Eventually, Crouch settles on his sofa downstairs to watch the race, accepting a carrot from Clancy. Chapman notes Crouch "must be 20 hands at least", while Bryce adds he's "unlikely to be wanted for breeding".
The ad also includes a cameo from Cheltenham's most successful jockey, Ruby Walsh. "Even the Irish will back this English banker," he quips.
Kevin Masters, creative director at VCCP, said: "'Feel like a favourite' is that moment when you look across at everyone else in the starting stalls, and you just know you've got the advantage. And that's exactly what it feels like heading into raceday armed with the Paddy Power app. Like Frankel racing against donkeys."
Media planning and buying was handled by MediaCom.
Creative director: Kevin Masters
Creatives: Paul Kocur, Chris Willis, Patrick Silla, Simon Allen
Production company: Stink
Director: Keith McCarthy
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