Key points:
- A son his gifted a shirt for Christmas, as we see the many struggles he faces as a fan
- References to rich owners, FFP and other areas are made throughout
Paddy Power has released its Christmas ad for 2024, the first time the operator has ever done so.
The ad itself features actor and presenter Danny Dyer as a father gifting his son a football shirt for Christmas, telling him to “Enjoy the gift of a football team...for life.”
As it progresses through the life of the son, we experience the many ups and downs of being a football fan through his eyes, as his ‘United’ side struggle to secure results, before Eddie Hearn, playing a rich football owner, takes over the club promising success.
In a cheeky reference to football in 2024, when the son’s United team finally win the league we see them stripped of the title by FFP at the title celebrations, much to his annoyance, as he chucks his shirt to the ground.
But as the ad comes to an end, we see everything come full circle, sitting next to Danny Dyer, he gifts his own son a United football shirt acclaiming the same line his father told him “Enjoy the gift of a football team...for life,” much to the annoyance of the young son’s mum, who throws the shirt in the bin.
The ad ends with the phrase, “A shirt’s not just for Christmas. It’s for life.”
Good to know: Paddy Power was a winner at the Global Gaming Awards EMEA 2024, securing the Retail Operator of the Year
Senior Marketing Manager Dan Oates said: "We wanted Paddy Power’s first ever Christmas Ad to truly resonate with football fans, but also be one that would entertain the nation and hopefully we’ve done that.
“Being a football fan is full of ups and downs, and we wanted to showcase this, whilst packing in as many nostalgic references and typical ‘Paddy Power’ moments of joy as possible. A huge thank you to the talent, teams, agencies, and partners who helped make the campaign possible."
Paddy Power has never been one to shy away from going the distance with its ads, having featured Dyer in adverts for Euro 2024 with a comical way of calling England everyone’s favourites, while earlier this year it featured Ronaldo playing as a super sub for one of the worst Sunday League teams in England.
