Proline wants Ontario bettors to ‘Bring It’

Who: OLG (Proline) with The Hive for strategy and creative, Makers for production, and MediaCom for media planning and buying.

What: “Bring It,” a campaign promoting the sports betting service’s enhanced retail offering, with a specific emphasis on the introduction of single-event wagering, and the addition of sports like MMA and women’s soccer. The campaign comes a few months before Proline faces new competition as the government opens up single-game betting to private players.

When & Where: The campaign is in market now, running across TV, online video, social and out-of-home.

Why: Proline launched an enhanced product offering—including single-event wagering and new sports, events and markets—into approximately 10,000 retail locations across Ontario at the beginning of the month. This campaign is about communicating that to consumers.

“The new Proline at retail has brought it’s A-game so we wanted to create a marketing campaign that challenged sports bettors to do the same,” says The Hive’s associate creative director, Mitch Duesling.

How: The high-energy campaign is doubling down on the “more confident stance” established by the brand with the launch of Proline+ last fall, said The Hive’s associate creative director, Naeem Walji. “We wanted to build on the strong visual tone and kick that swagger up another notch.”

The video creative features athletes from various sports, including MMA and women’s soccer, talking to would-be Proline players and providing reasons for them to try the revamped product. “You’ve been in my corner from the start. Now you can put money on me,” says the MMA athlete. “A rookie taking down the champs? You bet,” says the soccer player.

One social post specifically address the introduction of single-event wagering with the message “Parlay cuz you want to” (parlays, or multi-game bets, were previously the only betting method for Proline), while another addresses the product’s new competitive odds with the message “Odds are, things change.”

And we quote: “As our new products continue to evolve, so does the way we talk about it. We’re really excited about the new proline at retail and Proline+, and where we will go in the future.” — Kim Clark, vice-president, lottery and customer Success, OLG

Chris Powell