Fans vow that their club has ‘something that money can’t buy’, namely history, legacy, and community, suggesting they would never see their club go down the same path. However, the passionate speech is suddenly interrupted when a fellow fan bursts through the doors to announce: “We’ve been bought by an oil baron! We’re rich!!!”

Instantly the fans shunning billionaire takeovers throw caution to the wind, as one fan bursts into a unique version of Ginger Rogers’, ‘We’re in the Money’. The pub sings in unison; ‘gone are my ethics and gone are my fears, we’ve been mid-table for too many years.’ The fans sing together in celebration and hope that this injection of cash will see the club climb the league table. A voice over says: ‘Well they changed their tune, football. You’ve got to love it.’

The comedic spot ends with the group finding out a potential downside of what can happen in a takeover; with one Hardlypool FC fan ready to buy a new season ticket only to be told there’s now a 12 year waiting list. The spot is the second ad from Paddy Power’s partnership with BBH, and was created by creative director duo Lawrence Bushell and Luke Till.

“Football has put the oil in loyal of late, with fans changing their tune faster than Jordan Henderson when a Saudi-backed billionaire rolls up in their gold-plated sports car. We couldn’t resist a sheik-y dig at the utter absurdity of it all. And don’t even get me started on Jay-Z! But at the heart of this advert is the excitement of the start of season that fans of all clubs feel up and down the country,” explained Tow Muldowney, Head of Marketing for Sportsbook at Paddy Power.

Playing on the theater, excitement and recent tropes of football, the tongue-in-cheek campaign will no doubt resonate with fans, demonstrating Paddy Power’s deep understanding and close connection to the sport.