Paddy Power has run spoof ‘apology’ adverts in two national newspapers this weekend in response to its ‘2nd Jobs for Subs’ campaign.
Paddy Power ran the Jobs for Subs posters after hearing fan complain about players collecting millions for sitting on the bench. The billboard campaign suggested some ways they could earn their keep, including the idea of Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin getting to work on cleaning the toilets at the Emirates, Fernando Torres manning the Chelsea burger van, and Peter Odemwingie to driving the team bus for West Brom.
The hashtag #2ndjobsforsubs was used to collect other amusing suggestions from fans on Twitter.
However, as the Drum reported, certain players involved were unhappy with the ads and in some cases were trying to get them taken down.
In response to this speculation Paddy Power has run ‘apology’ adverts in two national papers this weekend, targeted at the five players in the original campaign.
But in true Paddy Power style, the tongue-in-cheek ads offer the cheesed-off 'professional benchwarmers' a free £5 bet with the bookmaker.
A Paddy Power spokesman said; “Despite having had a great response from fans, it seems that some of the players have had their rather expensive feathers ruffled by our billboard suggestions.
“We now realise the error of our ways and hope that our offer of a free bet will give them an excuse to take a five minute break from all that exhausting, top-level bench-warming and have a punt on when they might next get into a starting line-up.”