{"id":57577,"date":"2024-05-24T00:03:23","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T00:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/24\/sports-betting-company-drops-boris-johnson-from-soccer-ad\/"},"modified":"2024-05-24T00:03:23","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T00:03:23","slug":"sports-betting-company-drops-boris-johnson-from-soccer-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/24\/sports-betting-company-drops-boris-johnson-from-soccer-ad\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports Betting Company Drops Boris Johnson From Soccer Ad"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/23\/world\/23gambling-johnson-2\/23gambling-johnson-2-facebookJumbo.jpg?resize=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Sports Betting Company Drops Boris Johnson From Soccer Ad\" title=\"Sports Betting Company Drops Boris Johnson From Soccer Ad\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The script for the high-profile advertisement had been signed off, the star had been hired and the creative team at the Irish sports betting company Paddy Power was convinced it had scored a win ahead of a big sporting summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Even with his back turned, and even before the big reveal, the man in the No. 10 England soccer jersey would be instantly recognizable by his build and shock of light hair: Boris Johnson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI told you I would get us back in Europe,\u201d the script called for Mr. Johnson to say, a glib \u2014 and untrue \u2014 quip from a man who helped lead the Brexit campaign that resulted in Britain\u2019s exit from the European Union.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But the ad will never air.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Paddy Power, which is headquartered in Dublin, was forced to scrap the planned clip \u2014 intended to be the cornerstone of its advertising campaign for a busy summer that will include the European soccer championship and the Paris Olympics \u2014 after a backlash from its staff in Britain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The decision was confirmed by two people familiar with the campaign and its demise. They said a script for the ad had been provided to Mr. Johnson. A spokesman for Mr. Johnson did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The people asked not to be named to discuss the company\u2019s internal decisions, and because of the sensitivity of aligning the firm with Mr. Johnson, who led his Conservative Party to a large majority in the 2019 national election but whose tenure ended after a series of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2022\/07\/07\/world\/boris-johnson-resign-news\" title=\"\">scandals engulfed his premiership<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Paddy Power\u2019s staff members in Britain, according to those people, said they were uncomfortable promoting a figure as divisive as Mr. Johnson, and particularly with language that poked fun at Brexit, an issue that polarized the country and damaged relationships with countries across the continent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe have been speaking to Boris Johnson\u2019s team about a number of opportunities, one of which was an idea for a cameo role in a TV advert,\u201d Paddy Power\u2019s parent company, Flutter Entertainment, said in a statement to The New York Times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The company confirmed that Mr. Johnson\u2019s role in its Euro 2024 campaign, set to air in the coming weeks, had been scrapped but did not say why.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe remain hopeful of working together in the near future,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A British tabloid newspaper, The Sun on Sunday, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sport\/27736913\/boris-johnson-deal-paddy-power-euros\/#:~:text=FORMER%20PM%20Boris%20Johnson%20has,are%20known%20to%20be%20edgy\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">broke the news<\/a> that Mr. Johnson would front Paddy Power\u2019s Euro 2024 campaign earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A gambling firm known for its publicity stunts, Paddy Power has never been afraid to push boundaries with its ads, which often draw significant attention, though not all of it has been positive. In 2010, a campaign featuring a blind soccer player appearing to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-10709417\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">kick a cat<\/a> received hundreds of complaints. (Paddy Power <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2010\/jul\/21\/paddy-power-blind-footballers-asa\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a> the ad \u201cfeatured an action that was so unlikely that it was absurd\u201d and that the cat was unharmed.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Two years later, it paid a fine of about <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.campaignlive.co.uk\/article\/paddy-power-agrees-pay-80000-underpants-fine\/1137044\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">$100,000<\/a> to UEFA, European soccer\u2019s governing body, on behalf of a Danish soccer player who promoted the brand on his underwear after scoring a goal at the 2012 European championship. The promotion broke rules against players displaying advertising on clothing other than soccer uniforms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In 2020 it <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/news.paddypower.com\/fan-denial\/2020\/08\/06\/sorry-we-messed-up-on-this-weeks-fan-denial\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">issued an apology<\/a> for using \u201cderogatory and offensive\u201d language after sharing a social media video in which a soccer fan made homophobic comments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Including Mr. Johnson was apparently a step too far for some staff members at Paddy Power\u2019s offices in London.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The former Conservative leader\u2019s pairing with Paddy Power contrasts with some of the views his government espoused about gambling. While he was prime minister, the government called for the English soccer federation <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-7867157\/Boris-leads-calls-football-bosses-scrap-deal-selling-FA-Cup-rights-gambling-giants.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">to cancel a multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal<\/a> with a prominent betting company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/23\/world\/europe\/boris-johnson-paddy-power.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The script for the high-profile advertisement had been signed off, the star had been hired and the creative team at the Irish sports betting company Paddy Power was convinced it had scored a win ahead of a big sporting summer. Even with his back turned, and even before the big reveal, the man in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/23\/world\/23gambling-johnson-2\/23gambling-johnson-2-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[13923,16670,1126,4942,9755,10032,1023],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57577"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57577"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57579,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57577\/revisions\/57579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}