Any thoughts on the promo advert for new season with Mr Vegas?

Am I alone in thinking Sky let us down (again) in taking pot shots at other sports in the advert? Yes, the sport is being sold to masses but doing it this way seems really cheap

Are we the only sport that likes to totally play into its stereotypes and not even try appeal to anyone else?

It would be like Union doing an advert with some toff in an eton uniform.

Thing is, this is sky advertising us. We want our broadcaster to be broadcasting our product to our existing viewers and to potential new ones and show case it's potential

Not sure this advert is going to be appeal to many new potential viewers

Here .... https://youtu.be/zAqZxQIqu1g

Here .... https://youtu.be/zAqZxQIqu1g

Thick, fat northerner who advertised OnDigital/ITV Digital alongside a monkey (and we know that happened to that company don't we?) in bid to increase profile of what is perceived to be a sport for thick, fat northerners.

Makes sense... NOT.

No doubt there are lots of thick fat northeners , and lots of thick fat southerners , and midlanders , and Geordies , and Welsh,Scottish and Irish

There are also lots of clever thin northeners , southerners , midlanders , Geordies , Welsh , Scots and Irish

Yes it points out ' flaws ' in lots of other Sports , but it does show his passion , our passion for what we all know to be the greatest game

Nothing wrong with it

It'a a FUNNY clip.....

I've not actually seen it on Sky Sports TV, I doubt it's one that often anyway.......

How come the RL adverts hardly ever show any of the sport being played?
We've had Wiggins and Tomkins running up hills, Eorl Crabtree smashing through a brick wall, and now a Vegas monologue throwing shade at other sports.
On one hand I understand the logic behind the Vegas ad, but part of me still thinks it must be difficult to peak someone's interest in a sport without actually showing any action.

All that ad does is confirm that RL is a small time and small minded sport.

I have often wondered why (other than not having [ia pot to P!$$ in)[/i , why the RFL can't do a very short biggest/hardest hits type medley ad on terrestrial TV ?You know that sort of ad where there a flashes of images, building in speed between each hit so that it's kinda like your life flashing before your eyes (imagine already being unconscious & Flower having another cheap pop).

Don't let the ad actually say it is Rugby League, not straight away, a kind of "it's coming" statement, then, boom, extended ads a couple of weeks prior to SL K.O & the big reveal "This is Rugby League" (or some other corny $#!T€).

No money though, tick !

No vision though, tick again !

No, leadership, no need to explain.

Everything is wrong with it.

It markets itself solely to the fat, northern, thicko stereotype.

It makes no attempt to market itself to anyone else other than its existing parochial demographic fanbase.

It displays no action on the field whatsoever. Nothing to see in this sport folks. We already like it and don't need any convincing. Anyone else who doesn't understand... close the door on your way out.

Instead, it takes pot shots at other sports emphasising just how insecure it is as a sport.

Then there's Johnny Vegas! Weren't there any comedians still available for the gig from the old Comedians show or the Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club?

Finally, it is a truly sh*t and embarrassing advert... full stop.

But the cost of putting such an ad on terrestrial tv enough times so that people see it is very large for the RFL. Then add in that you've no SL coverage on terrestrial tv and the vast majority of people who see it will be too far away from SL clubs to be able to go to games means you've no follow up.

I'm unconvinced of the benefits of tv adverts for sports (other than on Sky Sports) I think, if done, they need to be for individual events as opposed to general sport or competition ones and they need to be on the relevant platform

This is SKY's advert to promote their coverage of the game.

Their target is to encourage lapsed RL fans in traditional RL areas to subscribe to Sky Sports or to go to pubs that pay a heavy subscription to show matches.

I think they have accurately identified their target audience.

What do people expect really when SKY see us as a filler sport?

Even Darts...Darts FFS! has a far bigger profile on the network now than we have.

So who exactly should we be using , some young Bimbo in a bikini ? , as explained below this is SKYs advert to remind their subscribers that the ' Real ' Sport is back on shortly , however by using both Johnny and the way they have done the advert it will be extensively watched on social media , getting people laughing , complaining but also talking

Good advert in a similar vein to the John Smiths adverts by Peter Kay , people having seen it once will watch it again just to check out what they actually did see

To all those knocking the advert, what did you want/ expect to see ?

Although clearly this plays the northern card very strongly, it certainly gets across the passion involved in following the sport.
Perhaps we shold have asked Farage and Theresa May to have a pint and discuss RL.

The last time we used national media to "advertise" our sport, having the Challenge Cup draw on Radio 4, it was embarrassing and it probably harmed the game.

If this video gets people talking down their local pub / club, then, it's job done.

Sky get excellent viewing figures for RL and this will probably help increase the numbers.

Yours

Fat Northern Rugby League Fan

Got to agree I thought it was funny and liked it just to balance out the argument, as for using Johnny Vegas brilliant a fat northerner and RL fan to boot job done.

Fat Northern Rugby League Fan MK II

It's a good advert, who would have thought RL fans find something to moan about!

The ad is about raising awareness of the season starting and to do that it needs to stand out a 30 second montage of action/hits would just blend in and be utterly forgettable, a short ad isn't enough time to use clips. Would there be any discussion on here if it was just a montage ad? Would there be any discussion away from here? Not a chance.

For all those complaining about the advert, it may be worth remembering that Sky have done this sort of thing before and that their primary/ sole interest is to increase viewing numbers (to increase advertising revenue) for its network.

Clearly, they will never promote RL sufficiently to appease most folk on this forum but, they have rather more experience concerning the their needs than the "experts" on here.

Loved it,one of the true joys of RL and being is a northerner is our ability to laugh at ourselves.

To all you moaners on here might I suggest you move down South and support Union because that's what you are, lighten up and get a life for heavens sake. It's not that ad that's sad it's you.

I'd love to hear some feedback from non RL supporters watching that. Curious to see what they make of it and if it made them want to tune in.

Johnny Vegas is what a certain part of the internet would brand a 'lolcow'.

As a standalone advert, it is amusing but will be forgotten by the end of this season. However, I think it would be great if the RFL paid Michael Joseph Pennington to do his Vegas persona all season long. Imagine him having YouTube meltdowns every time saints lost a game, coming on RLFANS to argue with opposition fans plus whatever else he gets up to on the terraces and elsewhere on Rugby AM or some old man’s pub. A car crash for the internet age..

Personally, I'd like to see a highlights reel placed during the Super Bowl ad breaks but it would be expensive. On the plus side an American club is looking to follow in Toronto's footsteps and I think our sport is most likely to see growth over there. Our professional leagues are so weak we could have a good number of recently established clubs from North America playing here in the next decade. Then they'll head back home to create something much more valuable than what Super League could ever be. Rugby League had its chance to thrive in the UK but that gift has been squandered over the years due to poor growth management by the RFL.

So we get one of britains funniest best loved most recognisable comedians and entertainers, a fine serious and comedy actor, friend of Hollywood heavyweights, and all round massive RL fan, and what do some RL fans do, moan like F**k call him thick fat northerner, and then wonder why our game is not more popular, with fans like this who needs enemies. It's a great ad And funny,

We got Richard Branson, Bradley wiggins, Russel crow and they did f**k all to increase popularity.

Oh and people compare to darts, well darts has had a resurgence due to playing to its strengths and championing its image listening to its fans, Rl contanly trying to distant itself from its past, bringing in rules that fans don't like, playing games on nights fans don't like, changing league format to something that nobody likes etr etr

I enjoyed the Ad. I sent the link to some of my mates who are footy fans and have no real interest in RL. They thought it was funny, and they didn't say "typical northern RL fan". Myself i would've liked to have seen a John Inverdale manakin, with JV stabbing him with a pencil saying "i f***ing hate you". People from all walks of life and classes would enjoy that.