Gaffer, a docuseries featuring interviews with high-profile football managers, launches on Sky Sports today, 16 August.
Dead Films, Sky Media, media agency Wavemaker UK and betting company William Hill produced the series, which will be used in a variety of different formats. A long-form version will be available via Sky On Demand and available as a four-part mini-series on Sky Sports YouTube, while social media cutdowns will be used on Sky Sports’ Instagram and Facebook and there will be a 30-second TV ad – which will promote the On Demand destination as well as the online versions via an onscreen QR code
In addition, Sky Advance will be used to target football fans online offering a clickable version of the TVC, along with short form video on demand (SFVOD) and digital inventory.
The four-part series looks into different management styles, club investments and the growing demand for profitability, and features interviews with the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Fabrizio Romano, Roberto Mancini, Rob Edwards, former owner Simon Jordan, and Manchester United legend Patrice Evra.
Michael Sheehan, director of UK marketing at William Hill, said: “Football managers operate in an incredibly high-stakes environment. Through ‘Gaffer,’ we aim to give viewers a deeper understanding of the complexities and pressures that these leaders face every day. Modern day football managers have, what has got to be, one of the toughest leadership jobs there is. Through Gaffer, we aim to give viewers a deeper understanding of the complexities and pressures that these leaders face every day. ”
Karin Seymour, director of client and marketing at Sky Media, added: “We’re thrilled to have collaborated with William Hill and Wavemaker UK to create this unique perspective on football. Everyone’s an armchair manager thinking they can do a better job, but this in-house produced series offers an intimate and compelling look at the world of football management.”
Isobel Mooney, managing partner at Wavemaker, commented: “In a category as cluttered as the sports gambling space, finding a way to deliver proper value and differentiate from competitors is a huge challenge. The collaboration on Gaffer demonstrates William Hill’s heritage in sports and the capacity to tell interesting, untold stories delivering high-quality content to fans beyond the bet.”