BOYLE Sports has turned to Hollywood for the idea behind its latest TV commercial and creative campaign, and former French footballer David Ginola takes the lead role.
Boldspace produced the spot, and Elliot Simpson directed it. The film opens with two football fans in conversation about Squad Builder, a new product from BOYLE Sports. However, Ginola interrupts them before the exchange gets far.
Ginola then speaks directly to the camera and explains Squad Builder himself. According to the company, the format echoes the celebrity cameos in the film “The Big Short,” which won an Oscar.
The operator said the ad plays with the conventions of the traditional betting commercial through a mix of cinematic storytelling, humor, and Ginola’s personality.
Combined totals instead of individual targets
Squad Builder is the latest addition to the BOYLE Sports sportsbook and gives customers a new option for football betting.
Users pick between two and five players across all the major leagues and then choose from seven statistical targets, which include goals, assists, shots, tackles and cards. Each player does not need to hit an individual target; instead, their performances count toward one overall squad total.
Entertainment first approach
“We wanted to create something that people would genuinely enjoy watching; a piece of entertainment first, not simply another betting advert. We saw Squad Builder as an opportunity to push the creative further, with more confidence, personality and cultural relevance,” said Gill Blake-Swift, Director of Brand at BOYLE Sports. “David has the charisma to make the idea work immediately.”
According to BOYLE Sports, the inspiration behind the film gave the operator an innovative way of explaining the new product without making it feel like a demo.
“This is the kind of creative territory BOYLE Sports wants to occupy. We are building a brand presence that feels distinctive beyond our category and earns attention in its own right, while still being unmistakably BOYLE Sports and rooted in our brand mantra of ‘Back Yourself’,” Blake-Swift said.
Ginola returns for Early Payout
A variation of the campaign will have Ginola explain the operator’s Early Payout offer. Under this offer, football bets are settled if a team goes two goals up at any point in the match, even if it goes on to draw or lose.
The campaign comes in 60-second and 30-second versions. It will run across TV, VOD, digital, social and customer-facing channels starting Sept. 23.
The campaign sits within the company’s “Back Yourself” brand positioning, which centers on confidence. It also arrives while BOYLE Sports continues its commitment to English domestic football.
The operator recently signed agreements to become the Official Betting Partner of both Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, and it continues its front-of-shirt sponsorship with West Ham United.