Sports betting and daily fantasy brands have spent millions on TV and digital ads over the past few years.
But FanDuel is trying to change the game even more with a new higher-level branding approach that aims to emulate marketing from sports lifestyle brands such as ESPN, Nike and Under Armour.
To do so, FanDuel has hired Wieden+Kennedy New York as its lead creative agency, while unleashing a new campaign that will get heavy play during the NFL season, according to AdAge. The media buy takes advantage of the newly loosened rules from the league that will allow sportsbook ads during games for the first time.
Ads from W+K use the tagline “Make Every Moment More,” while selling the concept that sports ranging from football and soccer to golf and baseball are inherently more enjoyable when FanDuel users have a stake in the outcome. The ad includes pro golfer Jordan Spieth, with whom FanDuel just inked a multiyear endorsement deal. The campaign includes three national ads and five regional spots that plug FanDuel’s sportsbook in states where it is legal. All the spots will run during NFL games.
“The overall vision for this is really helping FanDuel become the next iconic sports brand in America,” FanDuel Chief Marketing Officer Mike Raffensperger told AdAge. While FanDuel already has high awareness, “we want to take that next step of being a beloved brand in sports,” he adds, citing brands such as ESPN, Nike and Under Armour.
The tagline is a not-so-subtle nod to the ability of gamblers or fantasy players to win money on specific occurrences within a game—such as how many assists a basketball player might dish out—rather than simply on the game’s outcome.
Wieden won the business after an informal review that included outreach to a handful of other agencies. It marks the agency’s first sports betting client, FanDuel for years has knocked heads with its chief rival, DraftKings. Both started as daily fantasy sports operators but have moved into the sports betting market in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a federal ban on sports betting in 2018. Sports betting is now live and legal in 22 states and Washington, D.C.
Cuomo’s Emmy Revoked Amid Scandal
Hours after leaving office, scandal-tainted former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suffered another defeat, losing the special Emmy Award he received last year for his daily, televised briefings on the coronavirus pandemic.
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said in a statement that given Cuomo’s resignation amid a torrent of sexual harassment allegations it was taking away the prize and removing any reference to him in its official materials.
Cuomo left office two weeks after he announced he would resign rather than face an impeachment battle that seemed inevitable after a report by independent investigators – overseen by state Attorney General Letitia James – concluded he had sexually harassed 11 women, according to AP.
The report marked a stunning downfall for Cuomo, whose leadership during the COVID-19 crisis drew widespread praise and accolades, including from the television academy, and led to a book deal worth at least $5 million.
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, whose members include media and entertainment figures from more than 60 countries and 500 companies, presented its Founders Award to Cuomo during a live-streamed ceremony last November.
In 2017, the academy reversed its decision to give the Founders Award to actor Kevin Spacey after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Other recipients of the award over the years have included former Vice President Al Gore, TV icon Oprah Winfrey, and director Steven Spielberg.
Cuomo used his more than 100 PowerPoint-driven slideshows and his sometimes emotional, sometimes acerbic style to provide daily updates and detail his administration’s efforts to guide the state through the pandemic, which has left tens of thousands of New Yorkers dead.
In announcing the award for Cuomo, International Academy President & CEO Bruce L. Paisner said his briefings “worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure.”
Walmart Engages TikTok in Back-to-School Initiative
Walmart has launched a new TikTok challenge and is hosting three free concerts as teachers and students head back to school.
Walmart’s #MyTeacherWins challenge asks users to submit a TikTok video explaining why their favorite teacher deserves recognition. Walmart will select 100 teachers to receive a $5,000 Walmart gift card.
Nominators received school supplies-filled backpacks and entrants must follow Walmart’s TikTok account.
Walmart is also presenting a homecoming concert series featuring free virtual and outdoor performances in performers’ hometowns. Imagine Dragons kicked off the shows on Aug. 27 in Las Vegas, followed by Chance the Rapper on Aug. 30 in Chicago and Kane Brown on Sept. 7 in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
Shakin’ Mic: Walker Hayes’ Song Inspires Applebee’s to Bring Back Famous Milkshake
Country Singer Walker Hayes’ No. 1 hit “Fancy Like,” that has gone viral encouraged Applebee’s to bring back its famous dessert – the Oreo Cookie Shake.
‘We fancy like Applebee’s on a date night, got that Bourbon Street steak with the Oreo shake,” Hayes sings in the song.
The dessert in the song shook up social media, going viral on TikTok and other platforms, leading the restaurant to seize the day by bringing back the sumptuous shake.
Like many other restaurants, Applebee’s cut many menu items in the wake of the pandemic, including milkshakes. But the blockbuster – and wildly humorous – hit has brought them back big time.
Applebee’s posted a video of workers dancing to the hit song and bringing out a steak and the $2.99 Oreo shake on TikTok.
Applebee’s CMO Joel Yashinsky said Hayes’ song came on the restaurant’s radar within a week or two of the release. Shortly after, they decided to bring it back after seeing customers and fans react to that song.
“Date night at Applebee’s is something that has been around since the 1980s, but when the song came out and Walker’s viral TikTok with his daughter, we saw an uptick,” he told USA TODAY.
Yashinsky said the process of training employees to make the shake and making sure the locations were ready for the launch date took roughly six weeks.
“It’s going to be on our menu for the foreseeable future and doesn’t have an end date,” he said. “Walker is very happy to bring the shake back with his song, and our goal is to keep it around for a very long time.”
Hayes and his wife still go to Applebee’s, and one of his first dates with her was at a location in Mobile, Ala. He had no idea that adding the dessert to the lyrics of “Fancy Like” would go viral.
“I think it’s going to be pretty funny and cute when I take my grandson or granddaughter to Applebee’s and can tell them I brought the Oreo shake back,” Hayes said. ”Applebee’s is a restaurant I care about and a part of my love story.”
You could say it’s the apple of his eye!
Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand!