Betfair Casino have given the chop to their dog-themed branding. The decision was taken after new rules were introduced this month by the Committee for Advertising Practices (CAP).
Since the start of October, new rules prohibit the use of subjects that have a “strong appeal to under 18-year olds or associated with youth culture” in gambling-related advertisements. The main targets for the new rules are sports stars, celebrities popular with youngsters and video game imagery. However, the prohibited list also includes animals and that’s why Betfair Casino have ended their dog-themed branding.
The advertising campaign has been used by Betfair Casino for the past couple of years. It’s now out with the dogs and in with Brett Flair. The new character is a London market seller who loves to sing. That may remind you of Del Boy from ‘Only Fools and Horses.’ Brett even has a sheepskin coat and a gold medallion.
As the show was popular in the 1980s, it’s not in the category of a character that will be of interest to youth culture. CAP probably hasn’t noticed how many times the show is repeated on television these days..
Pablo work with Betfair to come up with their advertising ideas. Their strategy director is Chris Turner who commented: “There wasn’t a dry eye when regulations sent our dog creative vehicle off to doggie heaven.”
When it came to deciding what to replace the dogs with, Turner admitted that they had the task of “navigating the choppy waters of tighter restrictions.” It’s a problem that Pablo and other companies are having to get used to with the new rules in place.
They recently worked with Betfair on the ‘Finger Ball’ advertising campaign. The strategy director said it’s a “fine line” between creating an entertaining advert while “not going too far and falling foul of regulations.”
Betfair’s view of Brett Flair is: “Imagine if a British market stall seller had a baby with the greatest Vegas performer of all time, then that offspring would be Brett Flair.” His aim is to “bring a bit of flair to your everyday life.”
Brett will first be seen in a couple of 30-second television advertisements. He’ll be promoting the slot games ‘Spin Til you Win’ and ‘Prize Pinball Jackpot.” Brett will be seen singing his version of the Backstreet Boys hit ‘I Want It That Way.’ Now that’s something to look forward to. Let’s just hope he can pronounce his R’s.
