Why our agency will never work with a betting client

So, I expect your agency to cut all ties with alcohol-manufacturing clients too?

That’s logical, right, given that over-consumption of alcohol could “risk their home or the money (a problem drinker) needs to put food on the table for their family”.

Well said Michael, I completely agree!

Admirable stance, but where do you draw the line…? Alcohol drinks companies (alcoholism), fast-food (obesity) etc

Well said Michael.

Would you also choose not to work with alcoholic beverage companies (that might end up convincing a problem drinker to keep drinking), or what about junk food companies (that might end up convincing the obese and unhealthy people to eat junk food) ?

I commend Michael Abdul for taking this public stance and encouraging others to do the same.
But if the Sphere Agency is serious about not working with gambling clients, should they continue to have Collingwood FC on their books; a client whose owned pokie machines lead to the public losing more than $13m last year?

Good work, thanks for having the courage to speak out!

When I moved here, I couldn’t believe how much of a nanny state Australia was when it comes to health and safety, but gambling goes largely unchecked.

In Holland pubs are allows ONE slow machine per venue and there’s a maximum you can bet. Not 25 like you see in some hotels here; it’s just depressing.

But you have worked with the likes of Hungry Jacks, Four’n Twenty, Nando’s – so I guess you don’t consider the obesity epidemic, a widespread social issue adversely affecting thousands of individuals within Australia then?

Totally understand your point here Michael, as I believe that aggressive advertising in this space can encourage problem gambling, but where do you draw the line? Would you not accept an alcohol client because teens may have a binge session and then “coward punch” someone? Or what about a junkfood client because that encourages unhealthy eating and therefore leads to serious health problems?
Also I don’t think the smartphone stat is necessarily relevant since smartphones only really became available to the masses after 2007/8 (before this time they were too expensive).

What a naive view on the industry.

If i was to single out some of your listed clients, my first instinct would be to say “how could you work with Body Bronze” who offers the use of Solarium’s which HAVE led to people dying (not pointing to the company, but the industry and facts about Solarium’s).

Then we would move to all the fast food brands. Heart attack is the number one disease killer in Australia and excessive calories and lack of exercise (good to see you have a gym on the list though) is a leading contributor.

You have every right to stick to your ‘morals’, but people like you, who look down on the rest of us, don’t gain any respect from people like me.

Hi Michael,

Well written piece.

I take your point but why draw the line at gambling and not alcohol? Both are issues that have well documented negative effects. If you are guided to stand against gambling, should you not also stand against the promotion of alcohol?

At face value, a cynic could argue that this is only a differentiation strategy.

Al

What a load of bullshit…..

Um, don’t you guys work with Hungry Jack’s, Cheesecake Shop, Crust Pizza, Keep Australia Beautiful (Funded by Coke), Four N Twenty etc… You get my drift… Heart Disease kind of causes a little misery for families right? Obesity anyone? Cancer? PR V Moral stance? Easier to have a shot at the flavour (Colour or Preservative) of the month right?

Good on you for taking some personal action

The gambling industry getting away with only moderate dissaproval in this nation has been a long term source of confusion for me. Given the moral and financial costs it causes in this nation and the massive extra workload it dumps on already stretched police, child protection and hopsitals systems you’d think it gets a bit more heat than it does.

Culturally it just seems to be accepted. I’m glad to see someone making some noise.

I guess you missed the fact that Collingwood FC make a LARGE amount from pokies, a form of gambling providing a significantly lower chance of winning than sports gambling.

You can’t have it both ways.

So, you pretty much stole this idea from Mad Men then? Don Draper did it better.

Like it. Thanks for taking a stand.

Just keep plugging that fast food mate.

Hi bullshit Bob, the question I have is which bit is bullshit? the slant, the comments , the stats, or the research? more specific please….

I personally left a marketing agency as I was moved to a large gambling client’s account. It’s good to see someone who listened to their moral objective over a financial one, the crux of the stance is another agency will just take their place..

Nonetheless, good on you Michael!

What rot, sounds more like a personal grudge to me. Take a look at his company’s past clients and tell me he’s working off a clean slate:

http://www.thesphereagency.com.au/weve-worked/

Interesting comment coming from the MD of an agency that worked with a fast food Nando’s for so long. Obesity is a bigger problem (pun intended) in Australia than gambling – we are in the top 5 most obese nations in the world and heart disease is Australia’s number one killer. Yet Sphere was happy to promote fast food, as long as the bills were being paid I’m sure!

All very noble. But maybe there isn’t a betting client who wants to work with you…

Besides, the advertising industry is solely based on persuading people to spend money on things they don’t need, and often can’t afford.

But we convince them how inadequate their lives will be without it – whether that be a house, a car, a pair of jeans, a beer, a washing powder, etc.

So my advice to “High Moral Mike” is to get out of this evil industry all together before he ruins even more lives!

It’s quite easy to say who you won’t work for when they’re not waving their big fat cheque book in front of your face.

Sounds much like Don Draper’s stance against Tobacco advertising after Stirling-Draper-Price lost the Lucky Strike account.

Great to hear. Gambling is one of the worst problems out there and in this nation has become acceptable. Unlike with Alcohol and drug addicts, gambling addicts have little to no means to get themselves rehabitiated, with the majority of gambling addict rehab clinics being backed by the gambling industry themselves.

Most who haven’t had to deal with a gambling addict as a family member will never quite grasp the lack of assistance offered to both the addict and the families dealing with the addict in this country. You only have to sit in the pokie section of your local RSL for 3 hours to understand the scope of the addiction. I worked as a gaming attendant when I was just 18 and it was frightening how addicted so many people are.

Also unlike alcohol and drug addiction, research into the behaviours and triggers of problem gambling is quite scarce and doesn’t go into much depth, it is also quite limited for the research that is out there.

It’s quite simple minded to suggest the author of this article should also cut ties with the alcohol industry.

So instead you decide to work with Nando’s, Subway, Hungry Jacks, Taco Bill, the Cheesecake Shop, Crust, Four’n Twenty and San Churro when obesity is the leading cause of premature death in Australia?
Like you said Michael, ‘after all, when you look at the research and statistics there is a compelling argument to be made’ against fast food advertising!
It sounds to me like you had a big loss on the Melbourne Cup, but don’t worry because there is always next year mate 😉

On you, Michael! Gambling will eventually be the downfall of this great country (if it’s not already).

What a load of garbage. There’s thousands of people out there who gamble responsibly – they have every right to be informed about the products and the businesses have every right to advertise them. If you take the position that you will not work with certain businesses because of what might happen when people use their product, it’s going to leave you with a very limited customer base. Do you not work with car manufacturers because pedestrians might get run over by hoon drivers? Ridiculous. I heard this argument nearly 15 years ago in a previous job and thought it was a load of garbage then and I feel exactly the same now.

Don Draper is a fictional character. Do you all know that?

Michael’s POV is 100% valid. We are all contradictions and contradictory in our behaviour.

Controversial piece on Mumbrella – a great way to get people to your web site. Wonder if your clients criticised in the previous posts appreciate the attention to their deficiencies about peoples welfare!

A very silly article that does nothing in what clearly is a bid to get some PR around the agency. If you’re making a stand on principle and ethics and whatever else you want to try and claim, then simply read through majority of the comments above that clearly indicate you’re a complete contradiction (and anyone else within the agency that thought this was a good idea).

It’s easy to say you’ll never work for a particular industry / client when the reality is that you probably really had little chance of doing so anyway.

Utter garbage – and more reason as to why most people don’t trust this industry and think we’re all full of it. This is the absolute rubbish you claim to not be.

A lot of comments in hear pointing out the hypocrisy of not-advertising gambling but advertising fast food.

While I can see why some people would think the two are the same they are not. People are underestimating the impact of gambling versus unhealthy living.

If you feed your kid junk food, and they get fat that’s bad. But it doesn’t compare at all to not feeding your kid whatsoever because all your money goes to the pokies. Its apples and oranges. Sure the kid has years knocked off their life, but a gambling addicts kid might not make it a month/be permanently behind the developmental 8 ball due to underfeeding in infancy. Where as a junk food junkies kid will probably have crap health and self-esteem but at least make it to 50. One is crap parenting, the other is dangerous parenting.

Similar with other family relationships. You might anger your spouse by eating unhealthy. A gambling addicts spouse may need to beg from friends and neighbours for their basic needs.

There’s probably a more reasonable link to be drawn to the similarity between advertising gambling and advertising cigarettes (which is banned) or alcohol (which probably has an equal or greater impact than gambling).

you cant blow a months wages on fast food!!! and Steve, go and have another latte….LOL:)

Well this is definitely a legitimate public service announcement and by no means a publicity stunt.
As everyone else has mentioned, if they’re ruling out gambling, why not alcohol, fast food, pubs/hotels etc.
It’s extremely hypocritical to only rule out gambling…
But, then again Michael “Understands the pressures of business and the need to keep the doors open”

Like every advertising body, there are rules and regulations as to what can be distributed to consumers. There are just some consumers who ruin it for the rest of us.
Alcohol; some use it responsibly, others abuse it.
Fast Food; some eat it every so often, some live on it.
Gambling is no different.
I enjoy an occasional punt and keep an eye out for promotions by different betting agencies to make it more worth my while; similarly, I keep an eye on the junk mail to see if I can pick up my favourite beer at a decent price, or pick up 2 burgers for the price of one.
Your public, moral objection to specific clients has only hindered your businesses ability to make profit from services the majority of people (who use them) value.

all the people above who equate gambling with drinking and fast food clearly have absolutely zero idea about the insidiously addictive nature of all forms of gambling and the destruction that this wreaks

a much higher % of people moderate their alcohol and fast food intake than moderate their gambling, which draws you in to chasing your losses

once you’re pissed or full, you stop drinking or eating. once you’ve gambled, you keep gambling. Winners think they’re on a lucky streak and loses try to make up for their losses

So true Neil, no one has ever drunk or eaten to excess. Ever.

And I can’t stop reading stories about the guy who had one too many bets, got behind the wheel and ploughed through a crowd of people.

I completely agree with you on this Micheal and applaud for raising this bold issue. I’m an advertising specialist working in this industry for the last 12 years in many Asian markets and now in Australia. Advertising agencies have totally deleted these words from their dictionary – Ethics, Morality and Transparency. Its not only gambling but many other business sectors that some people have mentioned. Cigarettes, fast food, alcohol are just a few.

Keep raising these issues !

Cheers

Sphere’s not big enough to work for any of these gambling corporates anyway, so it’s all a moot point.

well said Nell. good on ya!!

Fast food – I might spoil myself.

Gambling – I’ll spoil myself.

230% increase in online gambling? Apparrently there’s a 3000%* increase in online shopping since 2006, let’s boycott that too? *figure quoted may be bullshit.

You’re right Nell.
It’s exactly why we don’t have alcoholics, obese people or drug addicts etc.
Gambling is definitely a gateway addiction and must be stopped!..
Gambling is AS addictive to a gambling addict as alcohol is to an alcoholic and drugs are to a drug addict.
But, if you’ve had a personal experience with gambling, then you obviously know its more intense than any other addiction and apologies for saying otherwise.
At least with winners they have something to gamble with afterward!

Wow , a lot a these comments put the fast food and gambling in same basket. And this is the main point on the comment… How foolish… That’s where his chosen to draw the line… Ask yourself where yours is if you have one.

Seems to me there are a few suffering with a guilty conscience or chip covered shoulders here.

The quote …. ‘ ’m not judging agencies that choose to work on such accounts – I understand the pressures of business”…

answers most of the above if you dont want to do it, dont. If your comfortable with your choice, then all is good.

this guy is just giving an opinion

Hi Michael,

I like what you say and understand it. It’s your business and it’s a personal decision. I think the negative people here have missed the point.

The point is that everyone has their own personal stance or ethics on particular subjects. Gambling is one for him. Maybe gambling addiction has touched a family member or friend? We’ll never know…

So before you all get on your high horses, think about your “personal” moral grounds and rethink your comments because we all have them

Why is everyone so busy focusing on the fact that Michael does work for other industries that are deemed socially unnacceptable for one reason or another. The fact remains that Michael has the moral compass to identify that gambling is an industry that HE is uncomfortable with representing. It’s more than can be said for many other agencies (some of which I imagine are behind some of these negative comments). It’s not like he is standing up saying he is the Pope.. He’s just simply stating that he believes in THIS issue. He doesn’t have to support ALL of societies issues. Maybe take a second to appreciate that this agency is attempting to draw attention to an issue that they have decided not to be associated with.. Whether they’ve got the opportunity to or not is irrelevant. Nobody knows whether they’ve been approached by betting agencies or not so those comments are just useless. Why is it that nobody can do something positive these days without everyone trying to tear them down? It’s quite sickening really.

Looking at the level of your current clients im not sure any of the betting shops would be that interested in working with you either.

I Like the stand. But why oh why publish it – it makes you look inauthentic.

There a many things I’d like to change in the world. Problems much bigger than one person, one collective. I’m not naive enough to think I can whip all the worlds issues into shape but as one person, but focused on a task I can make a difference. I work for an oil major, and I understand the world issues associated with my industry. Do I quit & sell the car? I can’t fix all oil issues but I do my utmost in marketing the need to use hydrocarbons efficiently & effectively, to invest in sustainable fuels. I also try to raise children that are good global citizens and in my spare time I volunteer to help those that need a hand. Should I give these small things up because I can’t fix everything?

Come on people. A gambling epidemic is hurting our state and it’s pushed, like no other product, throughout our everyday media.
This one agency is making a choice to try to make a difference. They can’t fix everything but that can definitely make a impact.

Well said, and look forward to hearing more on this. This debate needs to continue. We all a bunch of whores.

I’ve lost a family member to gambling… killed himself.. well done for taking this stand.

Very noble of you Michael! Classic example of PR gone wrong!

Summary of most comments:

If you can’t cleanse your accounts of any industries considered unethical by anybody, then don’t bother.

Better just to have open slather in the name of doctrinal purity.

Seems to me that lots of people feel threatened by your stand and are trying to cut you down.

I say nice work. This is how change is made, step by step.

No one ever robbed a bank to finance their fast food addiction.

I’m the marketing manager of a large brand, and I would have to say that based on this article alone, I would consider this agency in the future. To make a stand and publicly state that you will never work with the fastest growing industry/ in relation to advertising spend, is more than a pr stunt. It’s an insight into this agency’s culture. Something I wouldn’t mind investigating further. Good on you Michael.

I can’t believe someone criticised this guy for working with Keep Australia Beautiful! Haha – Damn those clean beaches destroying lives!

I can understand people saying ‘well what about cars/fast food/whatever other product that could also lead to something bad’ – but everyone has the right to ‘draw the line in the sand’ where there feel most uncomfortable. Cars for example aren’t designed with the intention of killing people, whereas gambling is designed with the intention of trying to eventually part you with your money.

If it is genuinely something he feels strongly about then good on him for have the guts to start a conversation about it!

Those saying fast food and alcohol are not as bad (or worse) are kidding themselves. If you choose to make a stance against one or all of them that’s your choice. If you choose to publish that stance in a forum that is known for debate and discussion then you’d better be purer than the driven snow or have very thick skin.

I wonder if there would be as much trolling going on if posters were forced to use their LinkedIn profiles?

For those of you who ‘may’ not run an agency or any other form of business, I am sure they took due care to consider the potential impact of saying no to a portion of a highly lucrative business. I am sure those who comment all have to meet financial and strategic commitments like Michael.

Sure there is much more to do. Yet starting somewhere is starting nontheless.

The comments here are largely strawman arguments. I think it is good to draw the line somewhere (betting), rather than the illogical approach of “because you service FMCG clients” therefore you don’t have a right to take a stand on anything, anywhere, anytime because of the fatties. Idiots.

Interesting insight into advertising (Australian?) culture reading through these comments…
Righteousness = ridiculous
Hypocrisy = completely unacceptable
Amorality in all business dealings = de rigeur

Good on you Michael

every step in building awareness of the down side to gambling is a good thing.

Gambling is legalised theft. As a society too often we hide behind the ‘every body has a choice whether to participate argument’ as those least well positioned to exercise the choice are exploited by the commerciallty expert gamesters.

Why are we not asking Crown to exercise social responsibility and have some meaningful copntrols in place tied to Social responsibilities and OUTCOMES.

Current gambling regulations put the onus massively on the losers and too little on the profiteers.

I’ve felt the effects of gambling and seen what it can do to someone and the people they care about, so really appreciate this stance! It definitely shouldn’t be able to be advertised in a positive way that encourages others to gamble when it can destroy lives.

@sceptical has to be a plant. IP check please.

Just about the dumbest thing I have ever read in my life.

Good on ya! As for the negative peep’s: Michael can take it a step at a time. Promoting fast food and gambling and alcohol is worse than just promoting fast food and alcohol.

The general top end of town (large agencies) couldn’t give a stuff about society. This is why, time and time again, advertising folk are ranked 2nd to investment bankers in terms of their negative impact on society. Fact!

I would prefer to be the best of a bad bunch. Some people need to take a good long hard look at themselves. Michael has and for that I praise you Michael (even though I am not religious).

So much negativity! The guy has made a step in the right direction and all you lot can do is trash him. At least he has the balls to turn down money for morals! Bunch of total dickheads.

Probably never work with a car cilent, FMCG client or a $million+ budget client either.

I just worked out the real answer to why his agency will never work on a betting client… none of them have ever heard of Sphere

I know this topic has been flogged but thought I’d share something.

When I first started out in the industry I was told by a seasoned Ad exec (he’d done it for a few decades vs. my zero experience) that as I was starting out in the industry, I should think about what my boundaries are i.e. what crosses my personal ‘line’.

It was a great piece of advice. He said “It doesn’t have to make sense, and it doesn’t have to be right…it just has to be right for you”.