Ladbrokes Australia has launched its first campaign under the creative direction of Accenture Interactive’s The Monkeys, celebrating the launch of its new betting product, Mates Mode.

Building on the brand’s ‘Ladbroke it’ platform, the campaign uses humour to showcase the fun of true mates to prove that everything is more fun when you do it with mates.

The campaign is the second completed by The Monkeys for global sports betting and entertainment operator Entain Group, following the creative agency’s appointment to the group’s portfolio in October 2021.

The new creative partnership was first launched last month for Entain Group’s Neds brand, building on the ongoing Neds Level brand platform.

The new Ladbrokes Mates Mode product allows punters to create groups and share their punting experience together through the Ladbrokes mobile app. Punters will be able to chat within their group, share their bets and start separate betting pots.

The new campaign is the latest from the wagering brand since the launch of the Mike Iceberg campaign in March last year. The campaign, which featured Mark Wahlberg in the role of chief entertainment officer Mike Iceberg, was pulled by Entain in late 2021 after the ad was found to be in breach of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics by the Ad Standards Community Panel, for displays of violence.

James Burnett, chief marketing officer of Entain Group Australia, says: “For our Ladbrokes punters, we’re thrilled to now offer them Mates Mode. We know there is nothing more enjoyable than experiencing racing and sport with mates, so we’ve mirrored this experience through our new best-in-class product, Mates Mode, for our customers, and we hope our new campaign leaves our customers smiling.”

Directed by Benji Weinstein and set to Andrew Gold’s iconic Thank You For Being a Friend, the spot heroes four mates who do everything together – from walking their greyhound, to the first dance at a wedding, to skydiving, to cheering on a winner at the racetrack.