Stallions vs. Mares [1]

PADDY Power has recently got themselves into a spot of bother recently in relation to their latest controversial advert. The advert asks viewers if they can spot a transgender man or women, with a running commentary in a ‘at the races’ kind of manner.

In the very latest updates, the bookmaker has defended the advert against the backlash it has received. “2150 people have ‘liked’ it on You Tube, and 1400 have disliked it,” Paddy Power said. “There has been an organised and concerted campaign against it, I’ve had hundreds of emails, but they are mostly just cut and paste jobs,” the bookmaker has said. A spokesperson for the Lesbian, Gay and Transgender campaign queried if the people in the advert were actually transgender or hired actors. He accussed Paddy Power of transphobia.

“This was passed by Clearcast in the UK which checks all ads, so it is not offensive” said Paddy Power.

In other Paddy Power news, the firm has teamed up with Miomni to launch their new Yahoo Smart TV betting app. The Paddy Power Smart TV Application enables consumers using a TV remote control to browse available bets now and in the future for a range of betting types – horse racing, soccer, rugby, cricket, basketball, American football, tennis, golf, snooker, darts as well as social and political events.

Stephen Lovell, online product and business development manager at Paddy Power, said: “We have created a close working relationship with Miomni that has enabled Paddy Power to produce arguably the best and most comprehensive Smart TV sports betting application currently on offer. They have delivered on all aspects of the project requirement to budget and to the agreed timescales. This relationship coupled with the technical foundation we now have in place will enable us to create and launch innovative digital services in 2012 and beyond.”

Controversial advert and a new app? Seems like perfect timing?