Germany’s World Cup win prompts online addendum to anti-gambling TV ad
Poor Andy just can’t catch a break.
The fictional boy became famous in recent weeks in an ad by Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling, in which the character reveals to his buddies that his father bet all of his college fund on Germany winning the World Cup.
“Often, the people who suffer from problem gambling aren’t the gamblers,” an on-screen message says as sad piano music plays to accompany the sullen look on the poor kid’s face.
It wasn’t supposed to be funny, of course, but it turned out to be after Germany went on to kick butt in the tournament, with such dominant performances as a 4-0 win over Portugal and a 7-1 victory over Brazil before a 1-0 victory in extra time over Argentina in Sunday’s championship game.
The ad has been mocked everywhere, from social media to late-night television. The council defended its choice of Germany, saying it “injected a sense of realism in our messaging, since no one will bet on a potentially losing team.”
The organization came up with a way to stay true to its message, although once again at Andy’s expense. Immediately after Germany’s victory in the final, the council started running a banner ad across the top of its website with one of Andy’s friends asking, “Your dad’s team won. Did you get your savings back?”
Andy’s answer: “No, Dad never stops. … He wants to bet one more time.”
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