New Paddy Power billboard

Branoic

Just saw this giant new Paddy Power billboard in Pearse St Station and it made me smile. Basically its a giant photographic copy of DaVinci's "Last Supper". All the character are using pretty much the same gestures and positions as the original painting, but the table in front of them is covered in poker chips, roullette wheels, and other gambling / casino fixtures. There's even a security camera on the wall behind them.

I grinned, thought it was pretty well done. The thing is so big and colourful that at first you just see the "Last Supper" and think "Whoa, some religious group really splashed out on their advertising" - then you notice the table and the cards in the people's hands

I wonder......how long do you think it'll stay there? I realise we're meant to be a secular state and the Church doesn't have nearly as much power as it used to. But i can definitely see the potential of the billboard to offend hundreds of people. What do you think?

Also - In a wink to "The Da Vinci Code" and the Mary Magdallen conspiracy theorists, notice that the person to Jesus's right hand in this photographic version is most definitely a woman and not an effeminate John the Baptist.

whiskeyman

I've seen the last supper print done up before in ad campaigns over the world.
One type of example here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4337031.stm
There was a great example of it done in Channel 4s promo brochure for their xmas special as they had all the characters from the hit series Shameless set out in the last supper pose. - check that here : http://images.thisislondon.co.uk/v2/galleries/showbiz/adcomplaints/SHAMELESSL_350x250.jpg
I'd say it won't be up for long (it does break ASAI rules and they know it - ads still arent vetted), and probably taken down in a flurry of publicity... just what they'll want!

smiaras

This post has been deleted.

leftofcentre

I know but really how good is advertising that deliberatly sets out to annoy and offend people?

I know they are going for the PR shock value but do theses stunts not get a bit tired after a while? The story of the boy who cried wolf springs to mind.

"I know we'll put a cross dressing jewish protitute in a wheelchair and show her trying to pick up a trick in Iran"

Fecks sake guys try something original.

alleepally

It's actually very unoriginal and if it was simply designed to draw controversy then I'd say the brief has done it's job so bonuses all round for the creative teams and plenty of work now for the PR people. Hurrah, a new BMW in 2006 is on the horizon :rolleyes:

whiskeyman

leftofcentre wrote:

I know they are going for the PR shock value but do theses stunts not get a bit tired after a while? The story of the boy who cried wolf springs to mind.
.

The story of Oliviero Toscani & Benetton springs to mind quicker

I agree about the PPower ad - the concept totally lacks originality and it's clear its meant to kick off a complaints compaign.
Besides, anyone who is going to be offended by the campaign is unlikely to take part in gambling anyway.
PPower have got into trouble already with some of their ads - remember the one of a elderly woman crossing a road and the odds that she gets run down etc...
It's probably going to be a huge success.... :rolleyes:

ctrl-alt-delete

leftofcentre wrote:

I know but really how good is advertising that deliberatly sets out to annoy and offend people?

its very good, it gets people talking - like us on here, they are probably looking on it on any publicity is good publicity and its highly effective that way.

leftofcentre

ctrl-alt-delete wrote:

its very good, it gets people talking - like us on here, QUOTE]

Only in the sense that we think the ad is sh*te and would never darken paddy powers door. The old maxim that all Publicity is good publicity is not always true, just ask Kate Moss.

My man complaint with these types of ads is they are lazy and unoriginal.

whiskeyman

this discussion is also on the Poker forum
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=3418044#post3418044
Interesting to see their (fans of Poker and no doubt customers of PP) view.
Many seem to be pro the advert and dont see the problem... kind of what I expected to be honest given the market.
For anyone who still hasnt seen it, I've attached a large scale version.
By the way, here's the link to the ad PP came under fire before http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1372459.stm
It seems this campaign started in the UK, but they never used the Last Supper image there - probably in fear of a backlash.

By the way, someone from PaddyPower.com was on the Ryan Tubridy radio show this morning defending the ad.
He mentioned paddypower.com at every available opportunity.
Mission successful tbh...

whiskeyman

actually, I wonder what the repsonse would be if the characters in this ad were wearing suits / ties / casual clothes and the setting wasnt as "biblical"?

Fmicrochip

Personally I think its a clever ad - there's alot going on in the image and it does catch your attention.

I'd say the timing is because of William Hill.

leftofcentre

Its even more offensive once you see it. Now I am not a religious nut, but I really can't see the point in diliberatly setting out to offend people.

I would love to see PP try to take the piss out of Islam. I know who I would give odds on.

Branoic

leftofcentre wrote:

ctrl-alt-delete wrote:

its very good, it gets people talking - like us on here, QUOTE]

Only in the sense that we think the ad is sh*te and would never darken paddy powers door. The old maxim that all Publicity is good publicity is not always true, just ask Kate Moss.

My man complaint with these types of ads is they are lazy and unoriginal.

I've got no interest in gambling or PP, but I quite like the ad. Of course its not original, but tbh that doesn't really matter. Original ideas often fail miserably, but an old idea executed really well will work - and i think its done well. Hell, it just *looks* nice, - the use of lighting and shadow on the characters' faces and all that.

I likes it.

AARRRGH

leftofcentre wrote:

I would love to see PP try to take the piss out of Islam. I know who I would give odds on.

lol, I'd like to see that too

Duck Soup

It's only 'good advertising' if it sets out what it do what it was asked to do. My guess is that it won't bring a single extra punter into a Paddy Power shop, but then I don't think that's its ambition.

It could be just aiming to increase brand awareness, but I'm also guessing it's not even that. Paddy Power rake in huge profits every year and they might as well spend it on marketing as having it taken in tax. Hence, they sponsor a lot of races (logical) and do a fair bit of advertising (pointless). This being the case, they have a certain freedom to do what they want with their advertising and have used Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London to help them burn money more quickly. (I wonder if they did this ad?)

Yes, the ad is well done, but any advertising creative worth a bean would place a far greater premium on a fresh idea than a nice execution. It's much easier to polish up an old chestnut than it is to excavate for a nugget of originality.

I'm also a little disappointed that ad agencies still think that they're being fierce controversial by using religious imagery. It's like a small boy whispering 'mickey arse diddies' at the back of the church.

Larianne

There's another PaddyPower ad that is going to be brought out and it's of Priests playing poker and using the Holy sacrament as chips!!! Although I don't know if they'll be allowed use it!

alleepally

Larianne wrote:

There's another PaddyPower ad that is going to be brought out and it's of Priests playing poker and using the Holy sacrament as chips!!! Although I don't know if they'll be allowed use it!

I can't believe that would ever see the light of day and I would be surprised if it was even considered.

Larianne

alleepally wrote:

I can't believe that would ever see the light of day and I would be surprised if it was even considered.

Well yep it was shot. I know one of the men used as a priest!! And him being a church going man himself, he wasn't too impressed when he saw what he had to do!!

toodles

All the character are using pretty much the same gestures and positions as the original painting, but the table in front of them is covered in poker chips, roullette wheels, and other gambling / casino fixtures. There's even a security camera on the wall behind them.

The thing is so big and colourful that at first you just see the "Last Supper" and think "Whoa, some religious group really splashed out on their advertising" - then you notice the table and the cards in the people's hands

I wonder......how long do you think it'll stay there? I realise we're meant to be a secular state and the Church doesn't have nearly as much power as it used to. But i can definitely see the potential of the billboard to offend hundreds of people. What do you think?

Also - In a wink to "The Da Vinci Code" and the Mary Magdallen conspiracy theorists, notice that the person to Jesus's right hand in this photographic version is most definitely a woman and not an effeminate John the Baptist.

I think that if anyone were to take offence at this poster campaign, then they have very little to do with their lives. It's a clever poster and I agree with many of your comments that it does certainly lack a modicum of originality, but I do believe that there is a more innocent element in the ad to which people are more likely to take offence than the gambling and this is the female character to which you allude above.

Let me re-iterate: I do certainly agree that it is a clever poster. I too smiled when I saw it first. It's big, it's brash and it does exactly what it says on the tin. This has nothing to do with Paddy Power, this is about giving us a laugh and tying the company to that process. We are a Catholic society (although I challenge anyone out there to prove just how Catholic we are. When's the last time most 20-30 year olds were at mass that didn't involve a wedding, a funeral, a communion/confirmation or Christmas?) and if society can't poke fun at itself, then why bother getting up in the morning. Life is too short to take exception with advertising campaigns like this one. No doubt Joe Duffy or Marian Finucane will have some biddy on, defaming the company who came up with the idea, with Paddy Power too, but come on... What do we gain from such arguments and protestations? A weak heart, a big ball of stress and three days off our total life expectancy! It's an ad. I doubt very much the people that came up with it expected any outcry at it's content (although as I said previously, I do think the female figure will cause more agro than the content of the poster as a whole). And I also doubt very much that my very best intentions at trying to rationalise this furore before it happens isn't in itself a fruitless task, but at least I tried!

It will have it's day. It's already going around in emails. If they do proceed with the priest one, where they use the host as chips, then I'll laugh at that too. No doubt someone will quote me on this and tell me I'm going straight to hell, but let me inform them that I've known this for some time which is why I drink warm Guinness...

Life as I say, is too short. Laugh at it, it's what it's there for. If you can't poke fun at that which makes us who we are then you may as well already be dead.

So there.

whiskeyman

toodles wrote:

This has nothing to do with Paddy Power

I could have swore I saw a big Paddy Power logo on the ad....

1 post.... are you a troll?

Branoic

The ad was discussed on Questions and Answers this week. And this morning it's gone. In its place is a big red poster declaring "PADDYPOWER.COM advert has been removed."

There's some smaller print (im not going to say "small print", cos the letters are still probably bigger than my head) under this that i didn't get the chance to read....but I'm guessing its an "apology". I bet the folks at PADDYPOWER.COM are slapping themselves on the back now

Creamy Goodness

the "small print" said something like 'don't worry we'll be back soon' or something along those lines

Branoic

I got a look at it this morning.

Apology? Ha! Not likely......

It actually says "There's a place for fun and games...Apparently this isn't it"

The "place for fun and games" bit was the logo on the original poster.

Unrepentant to the end, eh? They are so going to Hell.

whiskeyman

Branoic wrote:

They are so going to Hell.

I've heard the poker is red hot there...

lostexpectation

am i making this up or was da vinci last supper ever denounced by the catholic church for any reason?

Creamy Goodness

Branoic wrote:

I got a look at it this morning.

Apology? Ha! Not likely......

It actually says "There's a place for fun and games...Apparently this isn't it"

The "place for fun and games" bit was the logo on the original poster.

Unrepentant to the end, eh? They are so going to Hell.

lol i totally got it wrong, i was sleepy at the time i saw it, on my way into college.