In Football-Themed Ads, FanDuel Lays Odds on Just About Everything

“What is life but chance, and every moment in it a bet?”

With those words, FanDuel kicks off a cheeky campaign for football season that lays odds on just about everything in sight.

What are your chances of waking up on time? Enjoying the correct shower temperature? Finding a fresh carton of milk in the fridge? Or losing your cable-TV signal with the most crucial play of an NFL game about to unfold?

Heck, what was the likelihood of a big bang forming the cosmos and sparking the evolutionary chain leading to humanity’s existence in the first place?

A :90 from Wieden+Kennedy New York explores such questions (and many more) as “odds” flash on-screen. The message: “Sure things” don’t exist, and we take chances almost every hour of the day—so why not have some fun placing bets through FanDuel?

“We want to appeal to all sports fans—those that are familiar with sports betting, and those newer to the category,” W+K creative director Gerard Caputo tells Muse. “The every-moment-is-a bet approach enables us to talk to everyone across this spectrum and have a point of view on everything from the creation of the universe to sports to popular culture. When the core idea is so far reaching and versatile, you can connect with almost anyone in meaningful ways.”

In a broader sense, the ads portray FanDuel as “a sports and entertainment brand” for consumers seeking deeper connections “beyond the offers and odds boosts commonly pushed in this category,” Caputo says.

So it’s a lifestyle play, with betting integrated into a day of watching football with friends. That’s an appealing approach and clearly on brand. (Though one could argue that since life’s so darn chancy, it might make sense to chill on the wagers and keep a few extra bucks in the bank!)

Director Nick Ball delivers a jaunty, well-paced narrative that really pops thanks to his distinctive use of first-person perspective. This technique “puts the audience in the point of view of the decision makers as they make all of these life bets throughout the campaign, so conceptually it fits our storytelling needs,” Caputo explains.

A half-dozen more ads will launch as the NFL season unfolds.

FanDuel archrival DraftKings embraces a glitzier approach, embedding its brand in original rap songs and casting celebrities like Martin Lawrence and Jerry Rice in a quest for mainstream buzz.

CREDITS

AGENCY : W+K NEW YORK
GLOBAL CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Neal Arthur
GLOBAL CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Karl Lieberman
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gerard Caputo
COPYWRITER: Ray Ali
ART DIRECTOR: Jackie Anzaldi
HEAD OF DESIGN: Frank DeRose
DESIGNER: Mary Lamphier
HEAD OF INTEGRATED PRODUCTION: Nick Setounski
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jess Griffeth
SENIOR PRODUCER: Jordan Leinen, Luke Rzewnick, Rob Marmor
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Stefan Puente                     
GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Ryan Johnson
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Perry Kayla Fox     
ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Nico Rodiquez
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Will Parker
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER: Alex Doomany
GLOBAL GROUP STRATEGY DIRECTOR: Stéphane Missier
SENIOR STRATEGIST: David Ceng
COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING DIRECTOR: Zack Green
SENIOR COMMS STRATEGIST: Javaad Beg
SENIOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER: Julie Petruzzo, Paul FitzGerald
BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER: Joshua Christie
TRAFFIC SUPERVISOR: Sonia Bisono
TRAFFIC MANAGER: Laura Guerra

PRODUCTION COMPANY: MJZ
DIRECTOR: Nick Ball
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emma Wilcockson
VIRTUAL MANAGING DIRECTOR/ PARTNER: Scott Horan
LINE PRODUCER: Line Postmyr
VIRTUAL LINE PRODUCER: Joan Garcia
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kevin Dirinpour
BIDDER: Martha Lucas
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Roman Vasyanov
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Olly Williams
LA STYLIST: Roger Forker
1st AD: Tina  Fratnik
CASTING DIRECTOR: Norma Masip
STORYBOARD ARTIST: Josh Hayes

EDITORIAL COMPANY: WORK EDITORIAL
Executive Producer: Alejandra Alarcon
Managing Director: Erica Thompson
PRODUCER: Samara Kelly
PRODUCER: Victor Medina
EDITOR: Jono Griffith
EDITOR: Dan De Winter
EDITOR: Trish Fuller
Sr. Cutting Assistant: Chris Wronka
Sr. Cutting Assistant: Audrey Weiner
St. Cutting Assistant: Chris O’Brien
ASST. EDITOR for Jono: Miles Watson
ASST. EDITOR for Dan: Julian Laing
ASST. EDITOR  for Trish: David Soto

VFX COMPANY: PARLIAMENT
LEAD  SUPERVISOR: Thomas Graham
SENIOR PRODUCER: Will Jellicorse
SENIOR PRODUCER: Jess Ambrose
Production Coordinator: Kate Matos
2D Lead: John McIntosh

COLORIST COMPANY: COLOR COLLECTIVE
Executive Producer: Claudia Guevara
Colorist: Alex Bickel
Colorist: Mike Howell
Color Assistant: Javiera Ergas

RECORD AND MIX: SONIC UNION 
STUDIO DIRECTOR: Justine Cortale
MIX ENGINEER: Fernando Ascani
MIX ENGINEER: Julienne Guffain

SOUND DESIGN & ORIGINAL MUSIC: Barking Owl
Creative Director: Kelly Bayett
Executive Producer: Ashley Benton
Sound Designer: Stuart Welch
Assistant Sound Designer: Mikayla Petersen