The Pools (formerly The Football Pools) has unveiled the next phase of its major rebrand with its TV and video on demand (VOD) advertising campaign, ‘True Originals’.
The 30-second advert – which sees a modern-day football fan discover his father’s box of memorabilia, including a historic Football Pools slip, before flashing forward to the latest smart phone app version of The Pools – leverages the brand’s nostalgic place in British cultural heritage, while celebrating its commitment to reaching new audiences and the next generation of football fans.
The TV and VOD campaign will be shown on non-linear TV, YouTube and social media platforms across the UK.
‘True Originals’ follows the launch of February’s out-of-home and radio campaign, ‘The Parents’ – a light-hearted and nostalgic celebration of the brand’s long-held position in football fandom and the strong connection with its loyal customer base.
The transition from offline to online for ‘True Originals’ follows The Pools’ recent upgraded online presence powered by Gaming Innovation Group (GiG Software Plc) and reflects the brand’s commitment to providing a modern, user-friendly experience for both new customers and old, while maintaining its iconic reputation in UK betting.
The digital reinvention of the beloved ‘Classic Pools’, and other pools games, now take the form of a digital membership allowing customers to choose their preferred game and set their monthly spend level (£10, £15, £20) while enjoying exclusive member benefits such as Free-To-Play games and free bets.
James Arnold, Chief Executive Officer of The Pools, said:
The Pools has been a constant throughout the past 100 years of football history and British culture, but with ‘True Originals’ we’ve repositioned the brand as a modern entertainment platform, re-imagined for a younger generation. In this video campaign, we’ve connected with our past, celebrating what makes The Pools such a unique, iconic British brand, but transposed our best characteristics for a digital-first customer base. ’True Originals’ follows our successful out-of-home marketing and radio advertising campaign ‘The Parents’, which had a localised approach across our Liverpool and Manchester heartlands. We are now bringing The Pools to a national audience with ‘True Originals’, celebrating the same nostalgic themes of ‘The Parents’, to connect with the next generation of players.
The Pools collaborated with London-based creative agency Amigo Partnership to deliver the ‘True Originals’ campaign.
Hugh Johnson, Director, Global Client Partnerships at Amigo Partnership, said:
The Pools has been a stalwart of British football culture for decades and holds a nostalgic place in the hearts of many. The ‘True Originals’ campaign sets out to capture the imagination of a new generation of fans, who didn’t grow up with The Pools, reaching back into the past to acquaint them with the brand’s legendary status, the folklore surrounding it and its place at the heart of football fandom. The creative taps into the zeitgeist for retro trends and positions The Pools as a true original. Heroes come and go, but originals, never go out of style.
Jack Wyllie, Client Services Director at Tomorrow, who led the digital media plan added:
The Pools are ingrained in the fabric of British football culture, so we are hugely proud to be delivering the media strategy and execution for such an iconic brand through the launch of the ‘True Originals’ campaign. Leading the delivery of both the brand relaunch across high-impact video and digital media, as well as the digital acquisition arm of the campaign, we’re excited to be working closely with The Pools team and agency partners to reposition the brand and drive performance among a new generation of Pools players.
