OLG sends up online casino cliches with 'You Play You'
They’ve suave, they’re slick, and, well, kinda shady. They’re the personas of some of the more than 65 online casinos currently operating in Ontario, and they’re all being singled out in a new campaign for OLG.ca.
Developed by The Hive, “You Play You” presents OLG.ca as a “more authentic, more chill, and more enjoyable” alternative to the bold, in-your-face gambling sites embodied by what The Hive describes as a “train wreck of cringe”—all loud talk, loud shirts and, um, pyrotechnics.
Directed by Frank Content’s Benny Nicks, the campaign’s 30-second anchor spot opens on a trio of online casino archetypes: A tuxedoed man who’s just “here to sell you something…” a magician-esque guy who adds “…in a way that we think that you think…” before concluding with a loud-mouthed guy who concludes “…is cooooool.”
The spot then shifts perspective to show people who simply wants to play on their own terms, without any attitude of OLG.ca’s rivals. Their gambling is done on their terms, whether that’s on a comfy chair in their living room, lying on their bed, or waiting for the bus while engaged in some space-themed cosplay.
“[W]e recognized the need for a fresh perspective. Many category brands tend to overemphasize just how a consumer needs to be, ending up with imagery that doesn’t always align with reality,” said OLG’s vice-president of brand and marketing, Maxine Chapman.”‘You Play You’ aims to stand out by offering, and welcoming authenticity in an often-flamboyant landscape. Our message is easy-going, yet empowering to the viewer, and to us as a brand.”
The campaign launched this week, running in :30, :15, and :06 second versions across traditional television, OLV, and social media, complemented by out-of-home and digital.
