Ladbrokes "hired famous beard-owner Brian Blessed to front its Russia World Cup betting campaign," according to Simon Gwynn of CAMPAIGN LIVE. The spot, "Brian and the bear," created by Cravens, sees Blessed "crashing into a pub riding a Russian bear to break the news about the bookmaker's latest World Cup match betting offer." It concludes with the "big-voiced actor" delivering some "weak puns and instructing his baffled audience to laugh." It was created by Adam Johnson and Stephen Carroll and directed by Damien O’Donnell through MTP. The ad will be followed by more ads featuring celebrities including model Kelly Brook and actor James Buckley. They will "cover other sporting events including the new football season and horse racing" (CAMPAIGN LIVE, 6/14).
'ENJOY THE INTERNET': Ooredoo and Lionel Messi teamed up for a new campaign. In a series of immersive videos, viewers are shown a playful side of Messi and local social media influencers as they share a series of unexpected moments (Ooredoo).
'RISING STARS': FIFA partner Dalian Wanda released a new short film that tells the story of a group of young Chinese footballers who will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Russia. The film documents a group from Wanda's "Rising Stars" program who will have the opportunity to step onto the pitch at the World Cup as one of the official World Cup flag bearers. The players will carry the official FIFA flag onto the pitch during Spain vs. Portugal on Friday and Belgium vs. Panama on Monday (Dalian Wanda).
STICKING WITH NIKE: In Sydney, Dominic Bossi reported Socceroo Daniel Arzani will continue to honor his contract with Nike "despite the sports manufacturer refusing to supply Iranian players with football boots" for the 2018 World Cup. The announcement on the eve of the tournament "caused fury" for the Iranian players and was "met with widespread criticism." If Nike defied the embargo and supplied Iranian players with boots, it "would have been subjected to fines" in the U.S. The company's decision "will not impact" its sponsorship of the 19-year-old Socceroo, who was born in Iran and moved to Australia at the age of six. A Football Federation Australia spokesperson said, "He will wear Nike at the tournament" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/14).
GETTING IN BED: SOCCEREX reported Cristiano Ronaldo was announced as a brand ambassador for SleepScore. The move comes after SleepScore, which specializes in sleep measurement and improvement, launched a new mobile app, which Ronaldo will help promote (SOCCEREX, 6/14).
