How Paddy Power ‘pulled a 180’ to donate £1m to charity
The tie-up between Paddy Power, Prostate Cancer UK and the Professional Darts Corporation drove a 232% increase in men using the prostate cancer risk checker.
On a mission to improve cut-through and boost trust, Paddy Power inked a sponsorship deal with the World Darts Championship in November 2023.
Beyond causing mischief, the gambling giant wanted to do something more with its Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tie-up. A partnership with Prostate Cancer UK felt like the perfect starting point.
Approximately one in eight men will develop prostate cancer – yet 10,000 a year are diagnosed too late. Paddy Power, Prostate Cancer UK and the PDC believed they could supercharge sign-ups to the prostate cancer risk checker, while building fame for the betting brand’s darts deal.
Working with agency BBH, the partners devised ‘The Big 180’, a campaign anchored on Paddy Power’s pledge to donate £1,000 for every Championship 180 thrown.
First, the partners announced the dartboard’s Treble 20 would change from red to Paddy Power green. After a media uproar, the bookie revealed the hoax was aimed at getting men to check their prostate cancer risk.
The gambling brand also created the Ballon d’Art trophy for the player who scored the most 180s during the tournament.
The partnership generated more than 300 press stories, spawning Paddy Power’s most retweeted and engaged-with post. Reaching 70% of the UK population, the tie-up between Paddy Power, PDC and Prostate Cancer UK notched up more than 20 million views.
Winners of the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Sponsorship and Partner Marketing, the partners celebrated a 232% increase in men using the prostate cancer risk checker. Paddy Power donated £1m to Prostate Cancer UK thanks to the number of 180s scored and enjoyed a 208% increase in darts bets.
