Foxy Bingo ‘Non Stop Fun’ TV Ad is a
high-spirited TV commercial for the foxy bingo gambling service. It
is filmed on Brighton pier, and includes a large sum of people
dancing to upbeat music. The advert is ‘lead’ in a sense by their
re-occurring mascot ‘Foxy’ who is a life-like computer produced
character with a distinctively British accent.
Brand identity:
The brand uses the slogan
‘non-stop fun’ to appeal to its audience. Although the nature of
the commercial is extremely youthful and exciting, it is targeting an
adult audience, perhaps those wishing to let their youthful heart
come to play.
The brand is littered with
innuendos, something of which perhaps an immature adult audience can
identify with.
- Fun, Lively, Loud, Happy, Exciting
- Youthful, Playful, Juvenile, Silly
- Daunting, Naughty, Cheeky
Target Audience:
Although the target audience
of foxy bingo is probably older males, perhaps with a dependant
personality towards gambling and betting, it does not seem as though
this advert is specifically focussed towards them. With the use of
casting and projection of a child-like mascot, perhaps their
advertisement is to broaden their scope, towards young adults.
Foxy bingo typical
‘customer’ would be a male or female in their late 50’s,
unemployed, single NRS Social Grade C1 C2 D and E, the strugglers and
resigned. Life Matrix ‘Struggling singles’
However, this ad is
designated for an aspirer; perhaps a twenty-something business owner,
who like to bet and gamble. (B, C1, C2)
Structure:
I would say this ad follows
a stand-alone talking heads narrative. The talking head is Mr. Foxy,
and although their other ads follow a similar style, they do not
carry on from each other on an extending narrative.
The advert starts with a
woman walking along the seafront in the rain with a purple umbrella.
Foxy is waiting at the beginning of the pier and the opening phrase
is ‘come on, let’s get foxy’. The weather almost instantly
brightens up and a large mass of people arrive in skimpy summer
outfits. They dance in synchronization along the pier with foxy and
the front leading them, holding the purple umbrella. He then says
‘its non-stop fun at foxy bingo.com!’ It then shows them on the
rides at the pier, and foxy says ‘giddy up Gertie, wahoo!’ whilst
on the carousel. The final narration is ‘find your fun at
foxybingo.com’ with an areal shot of the pier and the text ‘£5
Free’ and foxy says ‘get five quid free’.
The structure at the
beginning has direct connotations with appealing to someone who is
feeling down or depressed, having a rainy patch in their life. Foxy
symbolises happiness and positivity, making the customer think this
product will improve their value of life and their emotions. This
direct emotional appeal portrayed via the structure of the ad is a
very important psychological technique.
Persuasive Techniques:
I guess this advert has a surreal aspect, as a
first time viewer would have no idea what the product is, and the fox
character is surreal too. This intriguing aspect can be bewitching
for the viewer.
It is also humorous, it's not everyday you see a
fox holding an umbrella dancing down the pier. Furthermore, the
innuendos are an underlying humorous aspect, deigned to make the
watcher remember the brand.
I would also say it uses the persuasive technique
of sex too. Following on from the innuendos, the dancers also are
wearing small bathing suits which attract sex appeal. It makes the
brand seem saucy and naughty, maybe attracting someone who does not
have this aspect to their life.
I would say the persuasive techniques of this
advert are very effective because for me, someone who would never be
a consumer of this product or go on the website, I nevertheless
remember the mascot and adverts alike.
ASA Rulings:
Due
to the youthful appeal of this advert, it had problems with who the
advert was aimed at;
Issue: The ASA challenged whether the ad,
and the fox character in particular, was likely to be of particular
appeal to those under-18 years of age.
Response: Foxy Bingo said their fox
character had always been aligned with adult, celebrity mainstream
culture and traditional British innuendo, which they considered
intentionally distinguished him and the Foxy Bingo brand from youth
and youth culture. They said other marketing activities involved the
fox character giving away a hair-removal product; an appearance in a
glossy magazine; and a speed-dating event.
Foxy Bingo believed the fox character was not a
particularly recognisable character for children; was not a youthful
character; was not presented in a youthful environment; had never
been a children's entertainment figure; and had never been aimed at,
aligned with or used to promote anything that was considered part of
youth culture.
Assessment: Not upheld
The BCAP Code stated that ads for gambling must
not be likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s, especially by
reflecting or being associated with youth culture. Gambling ads could
not therefore appeal more strongly to under-18s than they did to
over-18s. They accepted that aspects of the fox character's style,
namely his purple coat and dandy walk upright on his hind legs,
resembled a children's cartoon character (Mr Tod from the Beatrix
Potter stories that were currently being broadcast on children's TV
channels). However, they also considered that other aspects, such as
his song-and-dance style, speaking voice and interaction with adults,
were very distanced from the behaviour of the children's character.
They investigated the
ad under BCAP Code rule 17.4.5 (Gambling), but did not find it in
breach.
Action: No further action necessary.
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