Paddy Power head of mischief takes Aus role
Ken Robertson will become head of brand for Sportsbet before returning to Paddy Power in autumn 2015
The man behind many of Paddy Power’s most infamous PR stunts, Ken Robertson (pictured), is to take on a new role at its Australian-facing brand Sportsbet later this summer, eGaming Review has learned.
Robertson joined the Irish operator as media and PR manager in 1999 but has since assumed the title of head of mischief.
He is credited with being the driving force behind Paddy’s often controversial PR activity including the banned Oscar Pistorius ad campaign and the recruitment of Danish football player Nicklas Bendtner, who displayed a pair or Paddy Power Y-fronts after scoring in the 2012 European Championships.
Robertson will leave the firm’s Dublin office in mid-August and begin his tenure at Sportsbet soon after, with a return to Paddy Power’s brand marketing team planned for autumn 2015.
Harry Dromey, Paddy Power’s mischief champion will take over Robertson’s responsibilities during that period.
Robertson told eGR the move was part of Paddy Power’s policy of rotating talent across key locations, and said the role will “involve more than just making mischief”.
“I’ll be elbows deep in the more strategic side of marketing which will be an interesting change for me,” Robertson said.
“The Sportsbet and Paddy Power brands have some useful commonalities and hopefully my experience at the coalface with PP will enable me to make a meaningful difference,” he added.
Melbourne-based Sportsbet was fully acquired by Paddy Power in 2010 after the Irish firm bought a 51% stake the previous year.
It recorded a 33% increase in H1 online revenues year-on-year to 86.5m last year, and won the Marketing Campaign of the Year gong at this year’s eGR Australia Awards.