Coral is taking UK players on a nostalgia trip with its Rewards Grabber platform launch advertising campaign.
Developed by Wonderhood Studios, the operator’s campaign plays on the 1980s tropes and retro gaming culture to promote its free-to-play rewards platform, as part of Coral’s We’re Here For It marketing strategy.
Chris Brocklehurst, Head of Brand at Coral, said the campaign was designed to connect the Entain brand’s heritage with modern audiences as part of its 100 years of operations celebrations.
Brocklehurst said, according to Creative Salon: “In our centenary year, we’re leaning into the magic of classic 80s gaming with our Coral Rewards Grabber.”
Coral’s advert debuts on UK prime-time television this weekend, with the campaign running across linear television, BVOD, social media and out-of-home advertising, with media planning handled by PHD Media.
Ben Dean of Magna Studios directed the advert, whose previous commercial work includes campaigns for Nike UK, McDonald’s and Beats by Dre.
In 2023, Wonderhood Studios was appointed as the new lead creative agency for Coral, following an advertising review undertaken by Entain, which formed part of its broader reassessment of brand strategy and marketing effectiveness for Coral and Ladbrokes amid heightened competition and tighter regulatory scrutiny of gambling advertising.
James Rafter, Creative Director at Wonderhood Studios, joked that while “hairstyles, music and fashion was better in the 80s”, prize offerings from the decade were “a bit naff”, contrasting them with the modern version of Coral’s rewards product.
Myles Vincent, also Creative Director at Wonderhood Studios, added that Coral had fully embraced the “ambition and humour” of the concept in pursuit of a campaign that felt “unapologetically entertaining”.