The Pools has introduced its latest marketing initiative, ‘True Originals’, as part of the company’s ongoing rebrand. The 30-second television and video-on-demand advert depicts a modern football supporter finding his father’s memorabilia, including a historic Football Pools slip, before transitioning to the current mobile app version of The Pools. The campaign references the brand’s historical presence in UK football culture while aiming to engage a new generation of fans.
The advert will be broadcast on non-linear television, YouTube and social media across the UK. It follows February’s ‘The Parents’ campaign, which focused on the brand’s longstanding relationship with its customer base. The Pools’ digital operations run on technology provided by Gaming Innovation Group, enabling a modernised user experience for its games portfolio.
The updated digital offering includes a membership model for the Classic Pools and other games, allowing players to choose a spend level and access benefits such as free-to-play games and free bets. The ‘True Originals’ campaign was developed in partnership with London-based agency Amigo Partnership.
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.”
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.”
Watch the True Originals video advert here.
