Betfair Brings Football Nostalgia and Real Fan Voices To Life

The campaign by Pablo London captures the spirit of the game ahead of the 2026 World Cup

By Creative Salon

26 May 2026

Betfair has teamed up with creative agency Pablo London and production company Iconoclast to launch a World Cup campaign with a difference.

The campaign, fronted by actor, funny man, and long-suffering Hammer, Tom Davis, celebrates the one thing that all football fans can agree on: and that’s not agreeing on anything at all.

In the 30-second TV spot, we follow Tom as he traverses brilliantly observed nostalgic football vignettes. Climbing over dodgy VAR lines, talking tactics in his local boozer ‘The Bet & Fair’, taking a seat on the first ever Betfairways flight 1966 to the USA, and visiting an 80s living room as the ‘hand of god’ moment plays out in real time.

For the keen eye, there are some brilliant cameos from the likes of England superfan Andy Milne, and Jane Boulton of cult TV show ‘Airline’ fame alongside a multitude of footballing easter eggs. All soundtracked by The Farm’s 90s classic, Groovy train.

The TVC is supported by a wider OOH, radio and social and digital activity that has been created in collaboration with Flutter Creative. Media planning and buying was handled by Essence Mediacom.

The spot was created by Pablo's Adam Reinke & Amy Fasey, directed by Glenn Kitson through Iconoclast, with edit, post-production and sound from TenThree, BlackKite and 750mph.

Lisa Marquis, Betfair Marketing Director, Betfair said “For Betfair, this signals a new era. One that harks back to our roots as a challenger brand and brings a spark back to everything we do. This isn’t just a football ad, it has a real betting truth at the heart of it and Tom Davis is the perfect protagonist to bring this to life for us. Pablo has created a truly special campaign that is fun, entertaining, and represents a real step change for the brand.”

Tim Snape, ECD at Pablo said “This is a new phase of work for Betfair in an area around opinions. It's been developed to reflect the ability people have at Betfair to use their sports knowledge in different ways. Our film delves into surely the most hotly debated subject in the UK. Football. It's a rollercoaster of footballing opinion touching on some of the most contentious subjects in the sport.

Kitson said of the creative opportunity and production approach: “I grew up in football’s heyday. Panini stickers, banging tracks, packed terraces. This campaign was all about bottling that feeling. No gimmicks, or trickery. Because proper fans can spot that stuff a mile off. We wanted to create a world which felt authentic. That meant keeping everything in camera. Not hiding stage hands, embracing imperfection and giving everyone a peek behind the curtain. It's a world full of chaos and personality. Just like the football we love”

The campaign solidifies Betfair as the home of different opinions.

The World Cup campaign is now live across TV, digital, and social platforms, just in time for the tournament in June.

Credits

Client: Betfair Sports

Brand Director UK & International: Lisa Marquis

Head of Brand: Venetia Tabor

Senior Brand Marketing Manager: Chris Hughes

Senior Marketing Executive: Oscar Solomon

Head Of Film And Motion - Flutter Creative: Marcus Richardson

Lead Creative - Flutter Creative: Daniel Flynn

Agency: Pablo

Executive Creative Director: Tim Snape