Ladbrokes Advertising Targets British Political Scene

Ladbrokes has been finding the time to have a little bit of fun with the upcoming election in the United Kingdom and is getting a chance to take a dig at the current government. After being committed to making a difference in the online gambling environment in the U.K. and in Europe the firm is now trying in a tongue and cheek way to make a difference in the political arena. In Ladbroke's shops it's new and latest advertisements, are featured. The first of which shows a Tony Blair look alike betting against Gordon Brown. The highly topical British general election adds a reason to smile for people recently stalled by the British economy. The campaign created by Alison Jackson, the photographer famous for other look alike advertising shoots, and who three years ago produced a spoof image of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair pulling a Christmas cracker for Schweppes, Jackson has been commissioned to produce a series of film ads playing on the election and the upcoming World Cup of football. The first clip is 45 seconds long where a look alike of Tony Blair is "caught" on shaky hand-held camera footage going into a Ladbrokes betting shop to place a hefty bet on David Cameron to win the election. " I always back the winner, you know," says look alike "Blair" to the bookie taking his bet. When leaving the character pushes over a life size photo cut out of his former Chancellor. The three month campaign, called "What are the Odds?", and will include at least six films with "look alike" celebrities. It is great to see that public humour is being tickled as it also takes a clean swipe at the Brown administration with maybe a little business thrown in for a sobering moment. Ladbrokes online operations had to leave the U.K. because of the current government, now maybe Gordon Brown will have to leave office in part because of Ladbrokes.