The Players Are Naked in These Sports Betting Ads From Canada

That's a clickbait headline ... but it's true! More or less. Actually, the cast is pixelated in all the right places.

But during filming, they stripped down! Mostly.

Anyway, BCLC PlayNow Sports treats us to lighthearted soccer, hockey and football with implied nudity. That's something, right?

One Twenty Three West created the campaign, tagged "Picture Them Naked," which positions PlayNow as the most transparent sports betting company around.

"Sports betting commercials are a sea of same," says agency creative director Kate Roland. “They're flashy, loud, and often not super clear. Who am I betting with? Where's my money going? We wanted to turn that intimidation factor on its head and lighten up the experience. With PlayNow Sports, there's nothing to hide. You can just focus on enjoying the game.”

Sea of same? Well, before now, everyone in sports betting campaigns managed to keep their clothes on. So, in that way, they're similar. (Even FanDuel's chickens got plucked off screen.)

Some of what Roland says is true, but overall, it's been an impressive creative category. Muse even bestowed recent Ad of the Week honors on Jamie Foxx's swank/incendiary BetMGM commercial. 

So, how'd those PlayNow shoots go down?

"Men had on flesh-tone underwear and women had the same, with either a tube-top or pasties," Roland tells Muse. "All our talent were also athletes and able to play their sports. We had to be very careful shooting pucks at our naked goalie!"

She assures us those pucks were fake. Still, even Styrofoam could sting, given the circumstances.

"As British Columbia's only legal sports betting site, PlayNow Sports give a certain peace of mind that other sites just can't offer," adds Jessica Bieniasz, BCLC's senior specialist for advertising. "Our goal is to reduce intimidation on all fronts, so that people can get into the fun of the game."

Of course, nudity implies a certain ... vulnerability. But why overthink it? Let's all place bets instead!

The campaign will run locally through the fall across TV, digital channels and social media.

CREDITS

Title: "Picture Them Naked"
Client: BCLC

Senior Manager, Brand, Advertising, & Media: Michelle WilsonManager, Brand & Advertising: Julie IvanusecSenior Specialist, Brand & Advertising: Jessica BieniaszAgency: One Twenty Three WestExecutive Creative Director: Rob Sweetman, Bryan Collins, Mo Bofill, Jeff HarrisonCreative Director,  Writer : Kate RolandAssociate Creative Director, Art Director: Marie CermakovaManaging Director, VP: Jaime NilssonAccount Director: Maurine CardosoProducer: Lorrie ZwerProduction Company: RadkeDirector: Matt KazmanDirector of Photography: Byron Kopman

Executive Producer: Dan Ford

Visual Effects: Nox Visual Effects

Colourist: Sam Gilling

Audio/Music: Wave ProductionsAudio Director: Craig ZaruzanMedia Agency: Cossette MediaGroup account Director: Michelle McBethAssociate Account Director: Mallory SmylieMedia Planner: Jasmine Dhaliwal