Global betting firm William Hill is launching a campaign celebrating the passion for sport ahead of the Champions League Final on Saturday.
As well as a new TV ad, which uses the rousing Neil Diamond tune Sweet Caroline as its soundtrack, the in-house campaign includes below-the-line assets that will match the new brand positioning. The activity also heralds the return of the public at sporting events.
The UK ad shows a series of vignettes of real friends enjoying life and sport and celebrates the unforgettable moments they share. It also features William Hill ambassadors former jockey AP McCoy and former footballers and pundits Jermaine Jenas, Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage enjoying these fun moments with fans.
The campaign was created by Richard Barrett and James Manning, and directed through Merman by ex-professional rugby players turned directors Nico and Michel Arribehaute. The media agency is Wavemaker.
“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,” Charlotte Emery, chief brand officer at William Hill, said.
“We wanted an iconic sporting song for the ad, 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.”
The new ad was filmed across 16 locations in London by the Arribehaute brothers, who have previously worked on campaigns for Renault, Lucozade and Under Armour.
“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,” Emery said.
William Hill is also launching a safer gambling ad as part of the campaign. Earlier in the year it committed to use 20% of its advertising slots to raise awareness of safer gambling, including making people aware of tools such as deposit limits and time outs.
“As a responsible operator, we understand the importance of safer gambling, and we hope the new safer gambling creative will encourage customers to enjoy our products safely,” Emery added.
New international creative will go live ahead of Euro 2020 in June. It will follow the same creative route, while celebrating the unique differences of each of the nations.
The below-the-line assets will be relaunched on 1 June. These will unite customer communications, so that William Hill appears as one brand while accommodating the nuances between its sportsbook and gaming operations.
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