The Worst Online Bingo Adverts… Ever!

TV Advertising and bingo go together like hand in badly made glove. At best, a bingo advert can make you laugh – at it’s worst, you can find some absolute howlers that really make question WHAT ON EARTH they were thinking. It’s no surprise that bingo ads often top the list of worst TV adverts – they are on all the time and often feature more cheese than your standard deli counter.

Naturally, we’re not saying ALL bingo ads are bad, and sure enough, there’ll be a post coming soon about the golden boys and girls of bingo advertising. We’ve particularly noted that as the world of online bingo has got bigger and companies have more cash to splash, the production values of ads has also creeped up, and some online bingo sites are trying their hardest to work out ever more creative and witty ways to make us try their wares.

It does seem strange to write a post that provides so many reasons for you to avert your eyes – but hey, this is the world of online bingo, and let’s face it, things aren’t always what they seem. So get yourself settled with a cup of tea as we present a car crash parade of the worst online bingo adverts ever…

Gavin Henson’s Brits Bingo moves

There’s at least three of your standard online bingo advertising golden rules in this advert – some jazzy music, a celebrity endorsement and er… godawful dancing. Fresh from his stint on Strictly Come Dancing, resident topless rugby man Gavin Henson manages to shimmy his way into this list with a set of moves you might see from your Dad at a wedding.

Of course, your Dad wouldn’t be pouting at the beginning in a moody black and white shot with his kit off (at least, we hope not), but hey, you’re Dad probably isn’t trying to flog a bingo site.

Now, we don’t mind Brits Bingo here, but in terms of useless celebrity additions to an advert, this has to rank up there with one of the worst. Enjoy the first 20 seconds, because after that, there’s a whole new world of pain waiting for you…

Foxy Bingo’s  freaky Fox

Foxy Bingo’s ads have become the type that most people love to hate – they are unashamedly cheesy and feature a guy walking round dressed like John Travolta with a fox head on. But back in the day, Foxy was less cheesy and more creepy, as this blast from the past shows. That posh accent, that bizarre man fox head thing… we love Foxy, but this seems more like the stuff of online bingo nightmares.

Showing the importance of throwing money at a problem when it comes to advertising, it’s clear to see the early days of Foxy Bingo (this ad was released in 2006, about a year after Foxy Bingo first opened their doors) were not as glossy and slick as what we know (and love) now.

And as a side note – seriously, WTF with that Foxy logo?! We’re glad to see that got an update over the years. Ahh from humble acorns do mighty oaks grow eh…

Bingo on the Box’s Thumb Aerobics

‘Quirky’ is a word that often springs to mind when thinking about the best online bingo adverts, as is ‘kitsch’. Think Foxy doing a takeoff of Grease, think Barbara Windsor dressed up as an online bingo queen, think of the camp forest fest of Robin Hood Bingo’s latest TV advert.

But as Foxy proves above, and as Bingo on the Box’s bizarre thumb aerobics instructor… thing… proves, there’s a fine line between quirky and downright creepy. A quick trawl through Youtube and I came across this advert, and I’m not even joking, I had a dream where this little thumb thing came chasing me down the street.

It’s a lasting impression from 20 seconds – but is it the right one?!

BOGOF Bingo with DJ Talent – Say What You See.

It’s not even that I intensely dislike DJ Talent, or BOGOF Bingo. Both seem like nice enough entities that are just trying to make their way through life. And to be fair, in terms of clarity points, it’s hard to beat this advert. But there is clarity, and there is having information pile driven into your head, where it seems to stick there all day and really, that does not make us like the brand, the man or the ad any more.

This is like the We Buy Any Car of bingo adverts, and for that, I’m afraid it has to go into the pile. Watch at your peril.

Up Your Bingo – Up your… what?!

Oh Up Your Bingo were really asking for trouble with this one. I’m really not sure why these two ladies would go out in the street and start shouting out calls. I’m not really sure why they do the “you calling me fat” thing at the end. And I wish, wish, wish they had a better song than what they came up with.

Nutty Bingo – Nutty but not nice

That quirky/creepy thing we were talking about – replace nutty with downright mad and you get our point with Nutty Bingo’s offering. Admittedly the guys are working on a teeny tiny budget, but genuinely, this advert is all about the KRAZY with a K, which unfortunately, only makes us kringe. With a K.

Wink Bingo – Dancing and dogs do not mix

Note to Wink Bingo – next time someone suggests getting a dog to Riverdance after it’s owner taught it to play online bingo, please just say no. There is something so strangely enchanting about those skinny dog legs bobbing all over the place, and then it stops and you realise you have just been watching a dog dance via the magic of digital manipulation. I was speechless, for all the wrong reasons.

Think we got it wrong? Which ad drives you crazy? Don’t forget to sound off in the comments!