🔮 Cursed

By a masterful clapback

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As a marketer, I don’t typically pay for subscriptions to remove ads…

Mainly because watching ads is like… part of my job.

So when I’m scrolling on YouTube and an ad pops up, I usually watch it.

But for the majority of the ads I watch, I’m not usually impressed – even though I understand the marketing tactics they’re using.

So when I finally find a showstopping ad that I actually really enjoy, you know I’ll be featuring it here.

And today is one of those days.

Today, we’re featuring this brilliant ad by Fanatics Sportsbook (seriously, their marketing team needs a raise 💲).

And what does every gambling ad need?

The Kardashians, of course.

And what does this gambling ad need – the Kardashians.

Love them or hate them, Fanatics Sportsbook saw a golden opportunity and capitalized on it with this well-written ad.

So let’s dive in 👇

Watch the full ad here.

A screenshot of the “Bet on Kendall” ad

The Context

There’s a viral internet theory called the “Kardashian curse.”

The theory believes that any man who dates a member of the Kardashian family will experience bad luck in both his personal life and professional career because of the Kardashians (yes, I had to google it for this newsletter 🖱️).

Or as Kendall puts it in the ad, “Any basketball player who dates me kind of hits a… rough patch.”

Kendall Jenner is a famous model who’s known for dating high-profile NBA players.

So for the duration of this ad, Kendall Jenner pokes fun at her ex-boyfriends in an ultimate clapback.

But enough of the tabloid gossip… let’s talk about the ad.

The Concept

The entire theme of the ad is that Kendall Jenner is using the curse to her advantage and is actively betting against her boyfriends to get rich.

Her first boyfriend got her a pool.

Her second one got her a classic car.

The third one got her a private jet.

They throw in a self-deprecating joke against her modeling career to seal in the idea that this money comes from gambling.

But now, she is over NBA players and is ready to bet on something new – NFL players.

They throw in a call-to-action to invite their prospect to bet with her – or against her – on the app.

The Composition

This ad works for many reasons.

First, the ad utilized a tactic we’ve already talked about before called celebrity endorsements – where they use a celebrity to promote their product.

But for this market – a sports gambling app with a large male audience – using a Kardashian as a celebrity endorsement can be a bit risky… but it does work here (she is a model 👠).

It also works because of relevancy.

The ad is a Super Bowl ad, so having Kendall switch from betting on basketball to betting on football is perfect timing.

This increases the relevancy of the ad.

The ad also uses humorous elements like irony, comedic timing, and self-parody to increase the entertainment value of the ad.

But the biggest reason this ad works is because it uses a concept called reputation inversion – where it turns a negative public trait into the selling point.

For any superstitious fans, they can use the Kardashian curse to their advantage and bet against her significant others in sports – just like how Kendall.

This flips the “curse” into a selling point where you can tag along and profit from the superstition.

And finally, the ad closes with my favorite line – the clapback:

“‘Kardashian Curse’… It’s not even my last name.”

It’s a mic-drop moment because her name is Kendall Jenner.

The Copy

I didn’t break down the sharp copy line by line because this newsletter is already too long.

But I was impressed with the script.

If you want to learn how to write great copy, this ad is worth a watch (if you haven’t already).

I know I’m adding it to my swipe file. 📁

Watch the full ad.

P.S.

This ad is also a clever PR stunt by Kendall’s team too.

The Kardashians are typically accused of being out of touch with their expensive jewelry, fancy cars, andprivate planes (amongst other things 💎).

The ad pokes fun on how Kendall makes her money and directly ties it to jewelry, cars, and planes.

And this self-deprecating humor makes Kendall Jenner feel more down-to-earth and relatable…

Because there’s an unspoken rule that those who can make fun of themselves are down-to-earth people.

So by joining this self-parody, Kendall’s PR team is using this psychological phenomenon to their advantage.

And the last line: “Kardashian Curse”… It’s not even my last name.

It’s distancing her from the “curse” legend by calling out how she isn’t even a Kardashian.

And if she starts dating a football player, she’s getting ahead of the tabloids talking about how she’s switched from the NBA to the NFL.

If you’re marketing for a personal brand, this ad is a great lesson in handling negative publicity strategically.

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Fanatics Sportsbook saw an opportunity in internet culture and seized it by turning the Kardashian curse into a bet-worthy angle.

Dr. Pepper took that same approach and ran with it, proving that brands who move fast and stay authentic can turn viral moments into marketing gold.

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🤱 This mom accidentally wrote a commercial