Pilot launches very cheeky ad featuring silver Olympic medallist James Magnussen
Men’s digital healthcare provider Pilot has launched a new, and very cheeky, campaign featuring former Australian Olympic swimmer James Magnussen, reminding men it’s okay to come second.
In a bid to cut through the Olympic advertisement noise, the campaign, featuring a number of sexual innuendos, sees Magnussen – who won a silver medal in London 2012 – giving a spirited account of how great it feels to come second.
With a number of allusions to the bedroom, by the end of the piece it becomes obvious that he is not just talking about his Olympic achievement.
The double entendre is carried across the spot by Magnussen’s endorsement of Pilot’s sexual performance treatment, and the cheeky tagline: Go hard, come second.
“We’ve been eagerly awaiting a moment worthy of launching our ‘coming second’ concept,” said Pilot’s creative lead, Tom Scarcella.
“The beauty of this platform idea is that it can live beyond TV, extending into socials, reactive moments during the games, and maybe even some lounge room couches as Aussie couples celebrate a silver medal together.”
While the ad has been barred from running on broadcast television due to external regulators deeming it inappropriate, some panelists on ABC’s Gruen praised it for bringing laughter to a serious topic.
Gruen’s Russel Howcroft said: “40% of Australian men are at some point experiencing issues in the bedroom. There’s got to be a percentage of those 4 million that are just going to enjoy the commercial, and as a result, they’re going to feel a little bit more relaxed about getting online and getting their hands on Pilot.”
Despite the setback, Pilot has said it will continue to go hard with its messaging, and does not plan on softening its stance.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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