Gritty BoyleSports Campaign Encourages You to Bet Wisely

With the Premier League under way and the Rugby World Cup about to kick off, BoyleSports, Ireland’s largest independent bookmaker, has teamed up with London based creative agency Above+Beyond and marketing communications agency, Wake The Bear, to launch its new through-the-line campaign, the first of this scale for the bookmaker in its 40-year history.

The campaign, titled 'Don’t Just Bet. Choose Wisely.' highlights the many variables behind every outcome, and why those looking to place a bet should consider these elements and ultimately make informed decisions.  

The 60” TV ad, directed by Above+Beyond’s Dom Goldman, highlights the complex and unpredictable nature of sport and the elements. Choosing wisely is about considering everything – not just the form of the team or the player, but factors outside of their control – like injuries, the power of the 12th Man, and even the weather. 

The TV element of the campaign dramatises the impact of rain on sport and shows how, when it comes to great sporting events, rain doesn’t care. To some, rain is a positive, while for others, it’s a nightmare, as conditions shift in seconds – working for or against a team, player and those with a stake in the outcome. The ad quietly implies while rain doesn’t care, the person placing the bet should.  

The campaign launches with a 60” TV ad. Crafted from a combination of existing sports footage, new shots, and artificial intelligence, the film shows the high-octane drama and power of rain in sport. The first ad will air on TV on 15th September, coinciding with the restart of the Premier league season on Saturday the 16th after the international break.

UK based Wake the Bear, will roll out “Don’t Just Bet. Choose Wisely” across TV, on-demand video, print, audio, digital and OOH. 

The campaign aims to drive re-appraisal of BoyleSports, positioning the brand as the smarter bettor’s choice. A series of shorter promos tap into how rain affects specific sports like football and horse racing, including a spot for responsible gambling. The campaign will run across the UK and Ireland before being scaled internationally as BoyleSports expands globally.

Aimee Prendergast, marketing director at BoyleSports, said, “No sporting outcome is clear cut and when you factor in elements such as rain, results are often impacted.

“Our new platform encourages our customers to consider the elements at play on a given day, and to not just bet, to choose wisely. This new provocative message aims to establish BoyleSports as the ultimate authoritative bookmaker.

“We also wanted a mantra that delivers on the importance of responsible gambling. ‘Choose Wisely’ asks our audiences to think before betting and make the best, most informed decision for them.”   

Dom Goldman, chief creative officer at Above+Beyond, said, “The sports betting category is awash with laddish tropes but betting on the sport we love is so much more than this stereotype. Through this new ‘Choose Wisely’ lens, we celebrate the uncertainty of sport and the need for careful consideration in order to choose wisely. This ad is an ode to rain – an unusual sporting angle on the impact atrocious weather plays and rain’s indifference to the outcome. While we can’t change the weather, we can, in our choices, influence the final outcome.    

“Embracing the challenge of sport licensing meant turning towards the capabilities of AI. We’d been using AI in pitch decks and film treatments, but this was the first time we were able to significantly use it within TV and cinema. Collaborating with AI technicians who understand film has been a useful example of harnessing the technology as just another tool for creativity.” 

Lydia Mulkeen, managing director at Wake the Bear, the Marketing Communications agency handling the account for BoyleSports, said, “It’s been a genuine pleasure  working with the team at BoyleSports to help get them into a position to execute this campaign, their first of this scale in 40 years, it’s amazing to see it happen.”