Irish troublemakers Paddy Power unveiled its ‘pre-World Cup campaign’ at a packed London press conference at the Savoy hotel this morning.
Why was it packed? Well, the brilliant Professor Stephen Hawking was there on the bookies’ behalf to tell attendees just how England could win the upcoming World Cup – using SCIENCE.
The campaign is called ‘Hawking Talking’:PR agency Taylor Herring asked the theoretical physicist to lead a study ‘delving into the science of England’s World Cup performances’. His findings include the following points:
Here’s the formula that answers the question ‘How can England win the World Cup?’. I know what you’re thinking… simplistic innit.
The genius also considered how England could succeed in a penalty situation, using data from the 204 penalties taken during all 22 World Cup final penalty shootouts. Here are some key points:
It’s likely many will feel aggrieved that British treasure Professor Hawking has agreed to be part of the PR campaign, but as with most Paddy Power stunts, that will only help it go further. Sure, the SCIENCE bit and scripting are PR-friendly, but the level of detail surprised me. Perhaps one of the safer and more detailed campaigns we’ve seen from the bookmakers. I look forward to seeing what else they have in store over the World Cup period.
Read more: Taylor Herring press release
