William Hill Launches New Advertising Campaign Based on Friendship

by Luke Andrews, 17 September 2019

UK Bookmaker Teams up with new design agency 72andSunny to produce 60-second commercial centred on the social aspect of betting.

William Hill launch new advertising campaign.

William Hill unveiled their new ‘It’s who you play with’ advertising campaign with a sixty-second commercial that aired during Lethal Weapon on ITV on Friday night. The extended advert, produced by the Amsterdam branch of 72andSunny, aims to convey the message that the brand can bring friends together. A theme the company describes as a “welcome way to connect”.

The video shows a different approach from the bookmaker; often adverts target the stereotypical image of a gambler who is often portrayed as a drinker at a football match, this commercial shows a departure from that strategy. This advertisement is more representative of William Hill’s customer base and sends an inclusive message. This is in line with the company’s strategy in which they pledge to become more digital and regulated.

Charlotte Emery, who is the brand and marketing director at William Hill, said that the advert captured the essence of betting and how a wager can bring friends together. Emery, who has over 20 years’ experience in brand leadership, strategic planning and innovation said;

The love of sport brings people together, and William Hill is all about enhancing that enjoyment – betting is at its very best when it is a social experience, and that is what our new campaign aims to capture.– Charlotte Emery, William Hill director.

The 60-second advert is twice the length of a typical advert follows a group of friends as they share information on what bets the group have made for the football match. The commercial is directed by Bob Harlow, who has recently directed Vauxhall’s new Corsa campaign and a recent Nissan “futuristic mockumentary” which featured Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy.

72andSunny Amsterdam’s creative director said his company had been allowed to re-imagine gambling adverts and added his team had ‘taken a fresh look’ at how betting products are presented. 72andSunny is a new creative and marking agency, but they already have produced high-profile commercials for adidas, Smirnoff, Google, Instagram and Facebook.

The agency became William Hill’s European creative and marketing agency after the bookmaker ended the partnership with Bark & Bite, ending a seven-year relationship. The company’s mission statement says that “We are on a mission to expand and diversify the creative class.”.

A shifting of William Hill’s tone and targeting was evident early this year when British boxer Anthony Joshua was used to promote the company. In the video, first shown in April, there is no mention of betting with just the words “heavyweights since 1938” on the screen. The company had previously announced they would be incorporating four safer gambling messages across its social media presence. Called, ‘know where you stand’, ‘keep it fun’, ‘control is everything’ and ‘take a break’ it will deliver harm reduction messages.

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