Premier League to Asia: Illegal streams stink

The Premier League is aiming to stem the tide of piracy in Asia-Pacific with a campaign that asks fans to 'Boot out piracy'. The work focuses on the poor quality, unreliability and malware risks of viewing illegal streams.

Running in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong, the digital campaign features images of players including Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, Liverpool FC’s Mohammed Salah, and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling. Managers including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pep Guardiola and Frank Lampard also appear.

DDB developed the campaign.

Ad Nut strongly agrees that people should pay for the content they consume, but honestly can't see how this campaign will help the league in Asia. At all. 

First, it's creatively dull. In fact, that's putting it kindly. It looks like the product of about 10 minutes of work by a creative intern. And not a particularly talented one. This is nigh on incomprehensible. The Premier League has vast resources and a massive trove of brilliant content at its disposal. DDB is a top-notch agency. Yet we get static cutouts of players and managers? That's it?

Secondly, the campaign doesn't even mention the legitimate Premier League rights holders in the markets that are being addressed, such as Astro in Malaysia and PCCW's Now TV in Hong Kong. So even if Ad Nut was somehow convinced by the message despite the boring 'creative', Ad Nut wouldn't know what to do next.

Overall, 'Don't do this bad thing' seems like a less effective message than 'Here's how to easily and affordably do the right thing—and look how amazing it will be'.

Ad Nut is left wondering why the league bothered.

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.