Dive Brief:

• Sports betting company FanDuel announced today (Jan. 9) that it has again teamed with NFL icon Rob Gronkowski for a campaign that will serve as the sequel to the duo’s “Kick of Destiny” commercial from last year’s Super Bowl, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• Timed to the playoffs, “Kick of Destiny 2” will include three video spots showcasing Gronkowski’s journey to redemption after failing to successfully complete a field goal during a live commercial at Super Bowl LVII. The spots, inclusive of cameos from professional wrestler John Cena and actor Carl Weathers, will culminate at this year’s game with a live pre-game kick and in-game, outcome-specific commercial.
• FanDuel is additionally offering consumers the chance to make a free pick on whether or not they think Gronkowski will make the kick through the FanDuel Sportsbook app, with those who guess correctly able to win an equal share of $10 million in bonus bets.

Dive Insight:

FanDuel made its Super Bowl debut last year by turning a bet into a commercial. The “Kick of Destiny” spot featured five-time NFL Pro Bowler Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski attempting to complete a 25-yard field goal during a live third-quarter commercial break. If successful, consumers who placed a bet on the Super Bowl through FanDuel Sportsbook could win a share of a $10 million prize. Ultimately, the kick was a fail, a claim debated on social media, though FanDuel assured viewers the offer would still stand. The effort managed to drum up “tremendous engagement,” FanDuel Executive Vice President of Marketing Andrew Sneyd said in release details.

Now, FanDuel and Gronk are back in pursuit of redemption with a campaign that kicks off in time for the NFL playoffs, potentially helping to grow hype and lock-in viewers come time for the big game, which will be played in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. Handled again by Wieden + Kennedy, the campaign’s first spot, “Desert,” goes live today (Jan. 9) and sees Gronkowski wandering through the desert, recounting his failure before being met by Weathers, who lifts his spirits and ushers him away in the sidecar of his motorcycle.

The “Desert” kickoff spot will be featured across national NFL inventory with partners including CBS and Fox, regional sports networks, national cable partners, social media and within the first exclusive, live-streamed NFL playoff game, which is being hosted on Peacock, a spokesperson confirmed to Marketing Dive.

To come are four additional appearances from Gronkowski. In the second spot, “Again?,” the retired athlete convinces FanDuel to give him another chance instead of offering it to someone else — that person being John Cena. A third spot serves as a movie trailer to build hype for the forthcoming kick. Finally, Gronkowski will attempt the kick live on game day before the national anthem, and a final spot that will air in the second quarter of the big game will celebrate the outcome and include footage from the kick.

The host of FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams,” Kay Adams, will serve as the commentator during Gronkowski’s kick, which will be held in front of a live audience.

To get viewers involved, FanDuel is again bringing back the betting element, this time adding a new interactive aspect that allows consumers to make a free pick on whether they think Gronkowski will “Make or Miss” the kick through the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Those who pick correctly will win an equal share of $10 million in bonus bets, per the release. Consumers are encouraged to follow Gronkowski’s journey on social media, including by following the hashtag #KickofDestiny on X (formerly known as Twitter).

FanDuel’s sprawling marketing effort ahead of the big game is a signal of how sports betting has become more mainstream in recent years. Another sign of the times, this year’s Super Bowl is for the first time being held in Las Vegas, a milestone that comes two decades after the city was banned from running Super Bowl campaigns. Also set to advertise during the Super Bowl this year is BetMGM, which will make its big game debut with an ad made with creative agency Highdive.