Paddy Power Betfair faces legal action over Solskjaer ad
Operator allegedly used Manchester United manager’s likeness without consent in Brexit-themed advert
Paddy Power Betfair may face legal action over its use of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s image in a recent advert published in the Evening Standard.
The ad, which appeared in the Thursday edition of the paper, featured an image of the Manchester United interim manager alongside messaging which read, “Theresa, time to try the Norwegian model”, a reference to Brexit negotiations, and included odds on Solskjaer becoming the permanent successor of Jose Mourinho.
The advertisement reportedly used the Norwegian’s likeness without first obtaining his consent, violating both UK and Norwegian advertising standards.
When presented with the advert during an interview with Norwegian news outlet NRK, Solskjaer said: “They’re going to have a big, big problem with me – I can promise you they will hear from my lawyer – if there is something I don’t want to be associated with, it’s betting companies.”
Solskjaer’s lawyers, Norwegian law firm Stray Vyrje, claimed the use of the image without direct consent was illegal. The firm said: “In this type of case, it is common to first prohibit and demand compensation. This is done routinely on behalf of Solskjaer in all such cases.”
This is not the first time PPB’s advertisements have been called into question, with advertisements featuring Floyd Mayweather and the slogan “always bet on black” receiving complaints by the Advertising Standards Authority in 2017.
Indeed, the operator recently unveiled Rhodri Giggs, brother of former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs as its new brand ambassador, with the phrase “Loyalty is dead, live for rewards”.
Paddy Power Betfair could not be reached for comment on the potential lawsuit when approached by EGR.