The Michigan Gaming Control Board should have no regrets about launching its “Don’t Regret the Bet” campaign, as the MGCB and King Media were just honored with a Platinum Viddy Award for their efforts.
The annual awards administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals recognize stellar work in the video/digital field.
Other winners of the national prize included the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Walgreens, and the New York Mets. The latter’s maneuvers prior to Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline made it clear that they regret spending tens of millions of dollars to acquire a pair of former Detroit Tigers (Justin Verlander and old wolf eyes, Max Scherzer, both renting luxury condos in Texas now) this past offseason.
At the forefront of the MGCB’s “Don’t Regret the Bet” campaign was an animated video featuring a man, his wife, and their dog sitting in a living room, where the man is consumed with the act of placing mobile bets on his phone. “Betting online could be fun,” a voice intones. “And, really, what have you got to lose?”
One by one, everything in the living room proceeds to disappear — the wife, the dog, the furniture, and even the dog’s bowl and bone. The only thing left is the gambler, alone on the ground with his phone, illustrating that if someone fails to control their gambling, they can, in fact, lose everything near and dear to them.
Kings of the hill
Based in East Lansing, King Media is a full-service marketing, advertising, public relations, and digital media agency founded in 1999 by Coleen King.
“King Media is committed to meaningful work, and the Michigan Gaming Control Board has been an exceptional partner in that,” King said in a press release. “International recognition affirms our work is on par with the best in the industry. But the bigger story is how these campaigns are changing lives and improving communities. The MGCB is clearly committed to their mission of preventing problem gambling in Michigan, and it’s an honor to work alongside them.”
“The MGCB’s priority is to protect the interests of the citizens of the state of Michigan, and we are proud to have been able to partner with King Media to help elevate our responsible gaming messaging,” said Sandra Johnson, manager of MGCB’s Responsible Gaming Section. “This award is an honor and reflects the team effort and work that has gone, and will continue to go into, our successful Don’t Regret the Bet campaign. I am grateful to the agency, as well as the financial support from the State of Michigan, to have made this endeavor possible.”
As Johnson alluded to, the MGCB recently received a $3 million allocation in the state budget to continue the “Don’t Regret the Bet” campaign. The effort includes radio and TV PSAs, as well as digital billboards, point-of-sale video ads at gas stations, and a website providing tips to help Michiganders keep their gambling under control.
Photo courtesy of the Michigan Gaming Control Board
