Bookmaker Paddy Power was quick off the mark to capitalise on the fall-out between Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and manager Maurizio Sarri in the Carabao Cup Final (24 February).
The cheeky advert, with the headline ‘Sarri Ain’t a Kepa’, was created the morning after the match by Paddy Power and placed on the same day under the match report on the sports pages of the Evening Standard.
Kepa refused to be substituted at the end of extra-time as Chelsea lost to Manchester City on penalties. His antics left boss Sarri in a rage and has increased the pressure on his reign at Stamford Bridge, with Paddy Power now offering 11-8 that he will be sacked before the weekend.
In December, Paddy Power also used the Evening Standard’s ability to react to the news of the day by producing an advert on the day that Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United.
The Evening Standard is currently in its third season of a sponsorship with Paddy Power-Betfair, which gives the bookmaker branding on all football coverage and category exclusivity over the opening spread on the sports pages.
David Sandall, Head of Brand at Paddy Power, said: “Reacting to live stories is key to the beauty of the Paddy Power brand and the Evening Standard offers us the perfect platform to do that. The Chelsea clown school story is all our punters are talking about so it’s right we sub our usual ad today with a more relevant execution.”
Steve Cording, ESI Media’s Head of Sponsorship, added: “We are constantly striving to find new ways to inform and entertain our audience – with Paddy Power we are able to do just that. Being able to react to fast-paced sports stories is a key part of our offer when we are talking to brands about partnerships. We are delighted to have been able to deliver this great ad with perfect timing.”
