Ladbrokes Reimagines Iconic Rocky II Scene in New Ad - 2022
Ladbrokes, a British sportsbook and gambling corporation, has published a new promotional film as part of its WePlayTogether advertising campaign. The one-minute-and-fifteen-second clip is based on the iconic "Rocky's run" sequence from the 1979 film Rocky II and offers a significantly edited version on the original video, including freshly filmed stuff with the use of current CGI.
An Iconic Sequence Updated for the Twenty-First Century
The ordinary spectator may take a few seconds to discover the differences in the sequence, which begins in a similar fashion. Rocky begins his legendary run to the tune of his theme song, "'Gonna Fly Now," as arranged by the English Session Orchestra with the London Voices Choir.
Sylvester Stallone's persona is joined by an ever-increasing number of individuals, including footballers, jockeys, wrestlers, and even drag queens, while the original film is swiftly altered. As Rocky ascends the stairs leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he is followed by a large and varied throng and flanked by motorbikes doing stunts. All of this has been incorporated perfectly to produce a visually striking and slightly bizarre experience that concludes with the WePlayTogether motto of Ladbrokes.
Neverland Produced a Visual Extravaganza
Neverland Creative, a London-based firm that has worked on a number of Ladbrokes' prior advertising campaigns, produced the promotional clip. They modified the original footage using innovative VFX motion capture techniques. Neverland filmed 250 fresh and colorful figures in Budapest and seamlessly incorporated them into the classic moment.
There are a lot of firsts occurring here in terms of size, as well as in terms of manufacturing procedures.
Stewart Townsend, head of brand marketing at Ladbrokes
Nicolai Fugslig was recruited to direct Neverland based on his prior expertise making advertisements for prominent companies such as Nike, Heineken, Canon, Mercedes-Benz, and Sony. The creative team acknowledged that the project required a significant amount of time, effort, and skill, but they regarded it with pride as a new milestone in cinema.
I've never been a part of a more ambitious and intriguing creative concept than this one.
Jon Forsyth, creator and creative director of Neverland
The Clip Elicited Mixed Reactions from Viewers.
The new advertisement drew mixed reactions on social media. While the majority of spectators thought that it was a technological marvel, many criticized the usage of material from such a renowned film to advertise a gambling operation. Several Twitter users called notice to the £17 million charge recently imposed on Entain, the firm behind the Ladbrokes brand. The UK Gambling Commission uncovered a number of safety and anti-money laundering deficiencies.
Despite the opposition, Entain is seeing consistent expansion. The gambling firm did not reveal the cost of its new advertising campaign. Nevertheless, given the original material and the outstanding visual enhancements, the commercial must have required a significant financial outlay.
The firm recently announced its H1 financial results, revealing a 17% rise in gross revenues to $1.61 billion and an EBITDA forecast of up to $1.18 billion for the year.