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In the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Paddy Power’s new Christmas advertisement has several moments that evoke previous famous World Cup incidents, including Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt of Marco Materazzi and Nigel De Jong kicking Xabi Alonso in the chest.
Through the commercial, Crouch is part of a church choir and then tries to get into a pub called The Inn, from which he is rejected.
Michelle Spillane, Marketing and Brand Director for Paddy Power UK & Ireland, said of the ad: “For the first time in our lives, football fans and brands are faced with the prospect of Christmas colliding with a Winter World Cup.
“It’s unchartered territory for all of us. To Paddy Power, it presented us with double the opportunity to surprise and delight football fans.
“Our aim was to create an ad campaign that celebrates the beauty in both, that captures the mood of the nation and gets fans excited about the prospect of this unforgettable opportunity to mark where they were in 2022 during this once-in-a-lifetime tournament.”
Despite the ad featuring some tongue-in-cheek moments, it has been approved by the UK regulator – which notably did not allow Smarkets’ own sports betting advertisement on the air earlier this year.
Fronted by Smarkets CEO and Founder, Jason Trost – alongside ex-Manchester United defender Gary Pallister – the campaign featured a commercial not-approved from appearing on TV by the UK clearance body, Clearcast, because of its content; which largely mocked SBK’s competitors.
