bet365 | Play Safe

Ambition

To deliver a campaign that alters people’s perceptions of responsible gambling advertising, and to communicate that bet365 doesn’t let gambling get in the way of the things that matter.


Strategy

Instead of focusing on the gambling behaviour, we put the spotlight on the impact of such actions. This provided much more common ground in shared impacts on an emotional, mental health, relationship and social level.

Responsible gambling ads were focusing on the wrong thing, showing bad behaviours that were easily ignored by the majority. Rather than portray the negative outcomes, we positioned the tools as the way to unlock more positive gambling experiences, enjoying gambling alongside other enjoyable parts of life that our audience revelled in.


Solution

A series of ads that showcased stories using everyday situations that were relatable to the target audience. Through a series of authentic, relatable scenes we showed members experiencing positive and fulfilling moments of everyday life calling on them to play safe, stay in control and enjoy everyday life.

All scenes were intrinsically linked to the tools available to help members make the right decisions. A series of TV ads were produced with a master ad covering all tools which was then supported by individual ads for each tool that allowed us to expand on the story ensuring relatability and understanding for the key target audience. These were then supported by digital re-edits concentrating on the functionality of the product and additional press ads to give a full campaign through the line to ensure we fulfilled the strategy.


Results

The campaign had the desired effect: 7/10 people were more likely to consider using safer gambling tools, and 54% of people were more interested in using bet365 having seen the campaign, with 38% of football betters being highly emotionally engaged.