61Responses:

• Jamie

  May 24th, 2007 11:44 am
  

  Hi, I am one of the two creatives that came up with this ad. Just wanted say that in the original idea there was no fox - but then clients do love their logos. We were unfortunate enough to land one that happened to be a fox in a purple suit.

• Silky

  May 24th, 2007 5:12 pm
  

  Hey Jamie,

  Thanks for writing mate. I sympathise with you for the client meddling. I’m sure a client has ruined all of our jobs at sometime or another.

  At least it could be worse:

  http://tvs-worst-adverts.co.uk/mazda-mx-5/

  So what do you think of the brain-storming idea? Could you get Sam Fox?

• Beatrice

  May 30th, 2007 1:39 pm
  

  Bad luck, Jamie. I sympathise, I really do. I used to model and the number of times photographers conspired to make me look my absolute worst for ‘edgy’ magazines was both astonishing and painful to my ego. The worst thing about the massive fox thing is that it obscures the meaning of the advert. I initially thought the point was that the fox was so scary and sinister that all the women stopped talking out of fear and shock. Oh well.

• Foxy_Bingo

  May 31st, 2007 2:19 pm
  

  Hi folks, I am from the client company that produced this ad. Firstly, we don’t think the ad is that great either and are in the initial stages of getting another, hopefully much better, one done. The agency came up with this idea, and in our haste, we went with it.

  I certainly don’t recall any ‘original idea’ as mentioned by Jamie, maybe he could be so kind as to remind us what it was? No doubt it was an absolute masterpiece, that, had it been made would have gone on to win a huge array of awards. Using a Fox character was always part of the brief because, surprise surprise, we’re called Foxy Bingo and our logo has a fox in it.

  Thankfully, the in-house creative and marketing teams at my company have managed to overcome the obvious hurdle of being associated with this ad and turn the brand into a multi-million pound business. We can also take comfort from the knowledge that there are dozens of other ad agencies out there gagging for our account.

• Silky

  May 31st, 2007 5:34 pm
  

  Hello Foxy_Bingo,

  Let me tell you that all of us here at TV’s Worst Adverts are very honoured that you decided to use our comments section as a forum for your thoughts on Jamie’s work. Genuinely many thanks.

  And you’ve got your metrics, you know what your ROI is. If you’re now a multi-million pound business you have our hearty congratulations.

  Just one question, could you get Sam Fox for the next adverts?

• Simon

  June 1st, 2007 10:33 am
  

  I am one of the guys who set up Cashcade - we power FoxyBingo.

  I would prefer to look at the advert in context of other online bingo ads and I have to say in this sense ours is possibly the most interesting approach.

  This was our first advert for Foxy and when I talked to a guy who claims to have done some work with Sony on the paint explosion council flat clown execution he said the foxy ad I described was an awful idea for an advert far too cheesey. I felt he may be right but equally was happy to take the hit as the budget for the project dictated we could not hurl a load of rubber balls down a street or do something out of this world and risk it failing.

  We have had people tell us “what a scary fox” clearly not something we wanted to be associated with, other people have actually been given a nickname based on the advert a lady on Myspace told me - her freinds are encouraging her to “save her chat”.

  To use the fox a second time with Katie Price at a photo shoot for our magazine campaign was hard - the fox in this looks far more like a teddy bear beacuse of the amount of time needed with make up to achive the TV fox was too tough - I personally prefer the TV ad one (scary or not).

  I had someone contact me at Cashcade to find out where he could get a suit as cool as the one worn by the Fox so had to chase down the agency to answer him its an Ozwald Boateng - but I have to say not a suit I would wear.

  My colleague who defends the advert earlier clearly feels the net results of the advert justify the inconsistencies of theme and plot registered on this site. As he says hopefully we will do better with the next one. Any ideas from you guys would be great. We may be able to get Sam Fox bit worried about having Rachel Hunter chasing her down with a wicked grin.

  Where I am going with all this is at the very least its memorable and peoople have responded to it - we have had two posts on youtube taking off the advert -

  1) someone has done an alternative ad where the fox gets shot at the end its quite funny and hats off for the effort though I do feel a tinge of sorrow for our poor fox being murdered by an animated soldier

  2) a take off of the idea where some guys use a fox which has been killed by the side of the road - they bob the poor dead creature’s head up and down and say Foxy Bingo (quite grim really)

  Thanks for all the feedback - not sure who Jamie is looks like his card could be marked eh?

• Emmie

  June 1st, 2007 1:38 pm
  

  I would like to say that I have a bingo portal and that we ahve found Foxy bingo to be a very popular site with our users. There are a number of big bingo sites out there like Foxy Bingo but the reviews that we have recieved in our recent competition vote Foxy Bingo as one of the best. I think that the reason for this is partly becuae of all the TV advertising that they have been doing - its fun, and entertaining which is exactly what a bingo site is meant to be
  I think that Foxy Bingo choosing Jordan as the face of the site, with Foxy is brilliant and works really well

• Silky

  June 2nd, 2007 9:34 am
  

  Hi Simon,
  Again, thanks to you all at Foxy Bingo for using TVs-Worst-Adverts as a forum.

  Based on your feedback about “Foxy”, not liking Rachel Hunter chasing him down and about having Jordan in your magazine adverts, here’s my new advert idea:

  Scene 1 - on the streets a night - Foxy, wearing the purple suit, is running through the streets of a town. In and out of street lights, he knocks over some bins, looking over his shoulder. He’s panicked, he’s being chased. Behind him you see the flashes of a red jacket, the clatter of hooves (or is it high heels?) and the sounds of horns (or was that a car?).

  Scene 2 - close up on Foxy still on street - he’s cornered, fear is on his face. Looking from side-to-side, not sure where to go, he dashes into a house.

  Scene 3 - inside house - 2 attractive, middle-aged women are sat in front of a computer playing online bingo. They turn, as the see Foxy they say “Foxy!” just as the patrons of Cheers say “Norm!”.

  Scene 4 - close up on Foxy in house - On hearing his name fear leaves his face to be replaced by relief and expectation. He looks into the camera and says “Bingo!” like The 13th Duke of Wybourne from the Fast Show.

  Scene 5 - in the house - Sam Fox runs into the room after Foxy. She’s wearing a red jacket, and high-heels (amongst other things) and says “Foxy, you left this at my house” and hands him his cane (or something). Foxy looks again to the camera and shrugs his shoulders with a grin on his face.

  Now that advert’s going to win awards!

• Stuart2z9sl

  June 2nd, 2007 10:31 am
  

  The wife and I think that the Foxy advert is brilliant. Our grandaughter has taken up the catchphrase and is always saying “What’s going on ere then Foxy”.
  We have been trying to find a model along the lines of Foxy but no sucess so far - any ideas. My wife wants to knit a childs toy as she has already done the usual teddy bears - rabbits - mice etc. Now want a fox.
  There are so many adverts these days that assume you have the mentality of a two year old or that the ad bears no ressemblance to the product it’s trying to promote.
  It’s nice to have something that’s simple and to the point.
  Keep it up - Great

• Jamie

  June 4th, 2007 4:14 pm
  

  apologies if anyone spent a bit too much time getting annoyed by my comment, just thought i would defend the ad when it ended up on tv’s worst adverts.

  the first concept we presented was the same, just without the fox - of course we imagined a beautifully crafted, guinness style piece of film that would win us the grand prix at cannes - but then we’re all allowed a dream right foxy?

  best of luck with the new advert.

• Sam

  June 7th, 2007 2:30 pm
  

  Surely the ad hits the mark. Their aim is to make Foxy Bingo seem like fun. And if a bloke walking around dressed like a fox in a suit isn’t funny, what is (ignoring the stalking aspects in the park)? Would like to see the follow up for Chicken Bingo. Like Emmie, our foxy bingo review proves popular after showings of the TV advert.

• Emmie

  June 8th, 2007 2:05 pm
  

  I agree with Sam and emmie on their point above about users liking Foxy Bingo. I really like the ad and have been playing at Foxy bingo for quite a while. There are lots of bingo sites out there, all competing and Foxy is one of the ones that I would rather play at. I saw Sharon Osbourne on the TV the other day promoting Gala bingo, - that ad was so boring. I would go with Foxy anytime

• Pablo

  June 8th, 2007 7:35 pm
  

  I’ve just come across this forum and thought I’d leave my ten penneth. I thought this ad was really good especially as it wasn’t a massive budget job. In response to the person that thought the suit was cool - it was a William Hunt suit. I was in this advert myself and saw it close up and I have to say, it really is a cool suit, the type that Bowie would wear. Well done to all at foxybingo, it was always going to be a good ad but I’m glad to hear that it did so well for business. Now, should you be making another ad…………

• Kid Calamity

  June 11th, 2007 9:00 am
  

  It’s only the bloke at the end of the advert that helps it make any sense! I heard that he was only an afterthought to be included.

• Foxy_Bingo

  June 11th, 2007 9:26 am
  

  KC, by the guy at the end I assume you mean the guy who speaks to Foxy, that is the esteemed Pablo who posted before you. BTW, where did you hear that ‘he was an afterthought?’

  This getting more bizarre by the minute…

• Foxy_Bingo

  June 11th, 2007 9:34 am
  

  Actually, between Jamie and KC we have an original concept with no Foxy and no Pablo (guy at the end). I must say that would make for a very interesting ad indeed, several vignettes of silent women and then the ad ends, I wonder if that would have worked better?

  Anyway, thanks to everyone for their replies, as I said we are looking at producing another ad by the end of the year that will be much bigger (and hopefully won’t end up on this site!).

• senor

  June 25th, 2007 2:20 pm
  

  he looks like a rapist. i love the way he stalks his victims with that cheeky grin. great ad!

• CArly Smith

  June 29th, 2007 4:24 pm
  

  Between you and me not sure why everyone is getting so overexcited by such an ad. There are loads of shit bingo ads out there and at least this one is a little different. The Sun bingo ads and Think bingo ones aren;t that exciting at all. I would say that the negative PR (not much) is well worth it in terms or everyone chatting about Foxy Bingo and your ad

• Simon

  January 28th, 2008 10:18 pm
  

  I wonder what everyone thinks of the new advert - we hope people like this one a lot more.

• Gerard McAveety

  January 30th, 2008 9:32 pm
  

  I must say, I found this video hilarious and it always sticks in my mind. The fox suit is great, and the fact he wanders around mysteriously makes it all the better. Some people find it funny, other find him scary - both great!. And the new one looks so cheap, the music is boring definetly not as mysterious and cool as the old classic one, his costume looks crap and his voice is what, American? Nahh the older one is easily better.

• Sam Fox

  February 12th, 2008 12:50 pm
  

  McAveety, are you drunk or just taking the mick? does Foxy really sound American to you? Cos if he does then maybe you think loads of other random stuff too, like maybe his suit is now yellow, and he is walking on the moon followed by monkeys that are all singing Humpty Dumpty.

  Well ive got news for you, he is not, and neither does he sound like an American, if you ask me he sounds like he’s from Preston.

  The new ad, is in a different league to the old one, its loads of fun, and is jam-packed with bingo references, its bang on brand and hitting the right target audience, and also it even makes sense too.

• Mike McDee

  March 7th, 2008 6:53 am
  

  Well I tend to agree with the others, the fox is a bit odd. For some very funny videos, have a look at the bingo clubs site…

  http://www.bingoclubs.co.uk/videos

  a couple of these are very nutty.

  have fun

• Homer

  March 9th, 2008 6:39 pm
  

  who is in the fox suit, I say it is a female and my wife says it is a man, can anyone let me know as the loser has to hand over the zapper to the winner for a week

• Tom Cooper

  March 9th, 2008 10:41 pm
  

  Well the ad was appalling and incredibly cheesey, but then it’s appealing to working class house wives and the unemployed so the fact only a retard would like it can only be beneficial.

• Nickie

  March 12th, 2008 8:01 pm
  

  Working Class housewives? geeesh you just have no idea Tom Cooper - my business is bingo, and I started as an online bingo player, and pretty much I will guarantee you my monthly take home is higher than yours!

  Anyway, back to the new ad - when you take a look at adverts like the new one for Ladbrokes Bingo that implies simply because your husband prefers the smell of grease to your company, leaving you no choice but to play bingo then Foxy Bingo’s contribution far out smarts many others in the industry.

  It makes use of the bingo calls, has a funky tune that most will recognise, and best of all isnt patronising to its potential member base!

• Judith

  April 3rd, 2008 4:00 pm
  

  Who does the Foxy voiceover?

• Foxy Fox

  April 14th, 2008 8:31 am
  

  I agree with some of the other comments, whilst the advert itself is pretty poor (it’s no defence that other bingo ads are also cr@p) it seems to have done a good job of branding Foxy in a very competitive market, remember that Foxy bingo doesn’t have real world clubs like gala and mecca in which it push it’s products.

• Caroline

  April 20th, 2008 5:00 pm
  

  what on earth are you doing?? this ad is legendary!

  FOXY is FOXY

  u have no taste in adverts!

• Gerard McAveety

  April 25th, 2008 8:44 pm
  

  Ok he isnt american but this fox advert is legendary

• Donnie C

  May 2nd, 2008 1:04 pm
  

  Is it the big camp fella from Ideal?

• Donnie C

  May 2nd, 2008 1:12 pm
  

  oops, just found his name is Adam Castrell. And He is on Rock fm station 97.4fm

• Jonny Chestwig

  May 9th, 2008 3:26 pm
  

  Congrats on getting in the b3ta newsletter this week as well Silky!

• Swineshead

  May 9th, 2008 3:28 pm
  

  I actually love the ad. But, having said that, I smoke far too much industrial grade skunk of an evening.

• titbeak

  May 9th, 2008 3:53 pm
  

  Foxy is a cunt.

• Sushiphill

  May 9th, 2008 4:12 pm
  

  I thought the ad was quite compelling, most Bingo ads are really low grade, Foxy is a world away in that the character looks proper prosh, nice mask, suave outfit: how many animal mascots wear a Boateng suit? Now, the new Foxy character is nowhere near as good…

• Jimbob

  May 9th, 2008 5:07 pm
  

  Foxy has a rapey rapey look in his eyes in this video…

• I smell a..

  May 9th, 2008 6:23 pm
  

  I like how Emmie agrees with Sam and herself in the same post, making me wonder how put up for this the Q and A session is with the ‘client’ and ’supplier’

  Oh and the adverts toss!

  20 seconds of nothing but women looking at each other in a strangely lesbian way? This is fine if it ends in some lingering kisses and cupping but not if it’s only advertising bingo!

  Most films involve some suspension of disbelief, but it’s a bit much for a 30 second advert!

  Where to start:

  First the freakish looking fox that has apparently been accepted by society. Failing that he’s the equivalent of the homeless in London or that women with the special shoes you see in town where it’s easier to just pretend they don’t exist.

  Secondly the man calls the freakish fox ‘Foxy’ I’ll assume their friends and this isn’t some media accepted racist term for foxes. For example if it were ‘Blacks bingo’ would the fat man say ‘What’s up Blacky?’

  Lastly what on earth is the manfox thing doing in a women’s hair salon? You can’t honestly argue that he’s waiting with the fat man; he looks like he’s just come in off the street! I actually expected him to ask for some spare change. He can’t be there for a haircut either, so he has to be with one of the women!

  Dare we follow this to its logical conclusion and assume he’s cross breeding with one of the women?

  Is this an advert for bingo or to promote bestiality and a master race of half fox, half human supermen who’ll tear out our throats by day and rummage through our bins at night?

• Mr. T

  May 9th, 2008 7:23 pm
  

  STAY AWAY FROM MY BINS!

• Lord Lucan

  May 9th, 2008 9:28 pm
  

  I’m afraid i didn’t get the original ad. Couldn’t see the correlation to bingo - why are they saving their chat, surely at the bingo they would be listening intently for those all important numbers rather than chatting amongst themselves!

• Zombie Dave

  May 9th, 2008 10:39 pm
  

  thrrz rdvrrrt rz rrlrr shrrt

• Insincere Dave

  May 9th, 2008 10:41 pm
  

  Advertising executives are almost as great as internet gambling executives!!

• thewilberforces

  May 10th, 2008 12:36 am
  

  Foxy looks like a nasty fucked up cross breeding experiment between a fox and Bungo from Rainbow — especially around the eyes.

  I enjoyed Jamie’s little apology for his original post - cocksucker!!

• TheSpoon

  May 10th, 2008 2:16 am
  

  He’s the crack fox! He’s gonna put you in a little dress and make you hurt!

• Rob

  May 10th, 2008 9:28 am
  

  That fox looks like my gran.

• But....

  May 10th, 2008 9:42 am
  

  at the end of the day the advert got people talking and so proves itself a success.
  I can’t remember any other online bingo adverts.
  Well done to all involved, run this one again on TV and bin the new one.

• matt

  May 10th, 2008 10:20 am
  

  to FOXY BINGO (31st may 2007)

  to quote: “Thankfully, the in-house creative and marketing teams at my company have managed to overcome the obvious hurdle of being associated with this ad and turn the brand into a multi-million pound business.”

  just thought ide say that your creative team has obviously done a not-bad job. but id’e tend to think the fact that the product is a form of highly addictive gambling probably has more to do with the success of the business than the unremarkable marketing that you seem so proud of.

• matt

  May 10th, 2008 10:24 am
  

  oh yea and i wanted to say that the guy in the fox outfit os obviously gay. nothing wrong with that. but its so blatent that he’s a dingy-dangy.

• Terry Nutkins

  May 10th, 2008 11:52 pm
  

  I think this advert would make more sense if the women were replaced by otters.

• Molly F

  May 11th, 2008 1:28 am
  

  I’d love to shoot that fox and then smear the blood on myself, furiously masturbating with a bingo dabber pen.

• Lord Manley

  May 11th, 2008 7:21 pm
  

  I think that this advertisement draws a clear comparison between foxes and ginger males.

  I know that, in some instances, foxes can niff a bit, but there is no call for this kind of victimisation to such a nobal animal.

• Lord Manley

  May 11th, 2008 7:21 pm
  

  A nobal animal clearly being a castrated fox.

• kjhkbkjbkjb

  May 11th, 2008 8:37 pm
  

  im going to rape that fox

• Rob Manuel

  May 11th, 2008 8:57 pm
  

  As a fellow ginger and rapist, I can’t help feeling quite pleased we are finally getting the recognition we deserve.

• Reverend Peter Umbeko Umbongo

  May 12th, 2008 7:29 am
  

  Dear Sir/M,
  I am Reverend Peter Umbeko Umbongo. an Auditor of a BANK OF THE NORTH
  INTERNATIONAL,ABUJA (FCT). I have the courage to Crave indulgence for this important business believing that you will never let me down either now or in the future. Some years ago, an American Mining consultant/ contractor with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, made a numbered time (fixed)deposit for twelve calendar months, valued $12M.USD (TWELVE MILLION US DOLLARS) in an account. On maturity, the
  bank sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, The bank sent another reminder and finally his contract employers, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation wrote to inform the bank that he died without MAKING A WILL, and all attempts by the American Embassy to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore, made further investigation and discovered that the beneficiary was a purple suited gentlefox immigrant and only recently obtained British citizenship. He did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank deposit paper work. This money total amount$12M.USD ( TWELVE MILLION US DOLLARS)is still sitting in my bank as a dormant Account. No one will ever come forward to claim it, and according to Nigerian Banking policy, after some years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government if the account owner is certified dead. This is the situation, and my proposal is that I am looking for a foreigner who will stand in as the next of kin to beneficiary, and OPEN a Bank Account abroad to facilitate the transfer of this money. This is simple, all you have to do is to OPEN an account anywhere in the world and send me its detail for me to arrange the proper money transfer paperwork, and facilitate the transfer.The money will
  then be paid into this Account for us to share in the ratio of 35% for me, 60 % for you and 5% for expenses that might come up during transfer process. There is
  no risk at all, and all the paper work for this transaction will be done by me using my position
  and connections in the banks in Nigeria. This business
  transaction is guaranteed.And the first phase of the transfer will be ($4M.USD) FOUR
  MILLION DOLLARS as advised by our insider in the bank.If you are interested, please reply immediately through my personal email sending the following details:
  (1) Your Full Name/Address
  (2) Your Private Telephone/fax Number.
  Please observe the utmost confidentiality, and be
  rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your
  assistance to invest some of my share in your country.
  I look forward to your earliest reply.

  Yours,
  Reverend Peter Umbeko Umbongo

• sauronwibble

  May 12th, 2008 11:47 am
  

  I hate him, He shat in my garden.

• R E Krishna

  May 12th, 2008 12:45 pm
  

  Just goes to show that adverts don’t have to be good to be memorable. Remember the point of this is not to produce a cinematographic masterpiece. It’s to get twats to gamble all their money away with Foxy rather than anyone else.

• fucko the clown

  May 12th, 2008 4:18 pm
  

  Umbeko Umbongo - classy i’ll have my sherpas come for your mythical trunk box of cash immediately.

  n.b. since its an ad forum, I did like the old umbongo adverts from the 80s, although, turns out they don’t drink it in the congo, they just blow the shit out of each other in a civil war.

• Careful where you post those comments « caught by the fuzz

  May 13th, 2008 9:18 am
  

  [...] http://tvs-worst-adverts.co.uk/foxy-bingo/ [...]

• Foxy

  May 13th, 2008 10:42 am
  

  In the start i was approached to be in a short film in which i was to travel the parks and pedestrian zones of suburban england searching for hot women whom i would stalk foxlike back to their homes. The plan came unstuck however when one of the women i was pursuing took a detour into a styling salon - I slipped into the room behind her un-noticed and casually slid into the waiting area, i knew as soon as i sat on the soft rubber seat that i just couldn’t wait. I tried to deny the inevitable, to put it off. Listlessly i flicked through one of the glossy mags but to no avail i already knew what was going to happen…

  I don’t know what twisted fate caused pablo to be the next person to enter the lady’s hair salon, certainly he had no place being there -it makes me sad to think, if there is a god he must be one dark hearted mother fker. Pablo must have instantly known what was up but bless him, he tried to make small talk, he gave me the benefit of the doubt -that was his biggest mistake. You’ll notice on the video above that my response has been added by a voice over artist, those three seconds of silence were all i managed before the incident which i’m sure you’ve all heard so much about, an incident i regret deeply and offer my heart felt condolences to anyone who has suffered due to my actions on that day.

• Crimewave

  June 16th, 2008 9:17 pm
  

  The fox looks like a pedophile.

• Vixxie

  June 22nd, 2008 5:44 pm
  

  Thank you so much ‘TheSpoon’! I thought I was the only one who thought he looked like the crack fox! So scary….

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