Bookmaker Betfred has launched a proactive ad campaign to tie in Safer Gambling Week which features customers chatting about how they ‘keep it fun’.
Gambling adverts have come under a great deal of scrutiny over the past year, most recently with the UK government coming under fire for ‘stepping back’ from banning on gambling advertising altogether.
The minister for sport, gambling and civil society, Stuart Andrew, said there was “little evidence” that exposure to gambling advertisements caused addiction issues, although the industry is largely in agreement a direct link exists between gambling ads and rising levels of gambling disorders.
Addressing the issue head-on, Betfred is marking Safer Gambling Week (13 – 17 November) with a multi-platform campaign which features customers talking about the various techniques they use to keep their betting fun.
Created by creative and production agency Zút, the campaign urges people placing bets to take a proactive approach to keeping their betting safe, marking a move away from the traditional emphasis on promoting formal safer gambling tools.
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During the series of four adverts, a wide range of people are seen promoting healthy habits like setting personal limits, limiting gaming session time and being aware of how often they are placing bets.
Zút owner and managing director, Mark Hancock, said the agency was extremely proud of the work.
“Millions of people across the UK enjoy a bet and the vast majority do so safely and responsibly. We wanted to devise a ‘show don’t tell’ approach that featured real punters enjoying a bet, positioning them as positive role models.
“Betfred’s level of commitment to getting these adverts right can be seen in the quality and considered nature of the final adverts.”
Betfred’s chief executive Joanne Whittaker said: “Safer Gambling is at the very heart of our business and these new adverts are of huge importance to us. Zút was the perfect partner to produce the adverts as it clearly understood what we wanted to achieve and shared a desire to make these adverts industry leading.”
