Coral hits out with new ad
Enzo Calzaghe, the father of retired champion boxer Joe Calzaghe, wouldnât be a glaringly obvious candidate to star in a gambling marketing campaign, but thatâs exactly what Coral has done to promote its mobile app. Firmly targeting the male sports fan watching football at home and in the pub, the DLKW âcornermanâ ads feature trainer Calzaghe urging the punter to âstick one on itâ during an animated pep talk. He then squirts water on the protagonistâs face and shoves a gum shield in his mouth.
If Calzagheâs loud and incoherent performance wasnât enough to grab the viewerâs attention, Coral ramp up the stakes with a lingering shot on a scantily dressed âring cardâ girl displaying a free bet offer. The campaign marks a change of direction for Coral and one that the operator hopes will resonate with the public and, crucially, its target demographic.
Matt Prevost, the marketing director at the high street and online bookmaker, said the aim was to create a campaign that would âstand out from the crowd, grab consumersâ attention and make them want to visit our app and/or websiteâ. As Prevost alludes to, the TV schedules, especially around sporting events, are chock-a-block with betting companies promoting mobile wagering.
Being loud and unique, often through humour, is how operators are striving to distinguish themselves from the competition. Although many viewers probably wonât even recognise the moustachioed man in a lurid silk shirt as Calzaghe snr, the gist of the ad is clear and Coral is sure to experience a significant uptick in app downloads and mobile business. A knockout ad or a swing and a miss? Weâll let the audience be the judge.