When the Bodog Brand decided to advertise for resumés to fill the vacant Managing Director position at its Asian licensee Bodog88, they chose the Financial Times as the best vehicle for reaching out to top executive talent worldwide. Trouble is, when the ad (pictured here) was first submitted to the FT, the distinguished media house suddenly morphed into a house of Belgian waffles, i.e. they weren’t entirely sure they wanted this bold splash of color gracing their traditionally grey pages.
Confused by the FT’s reaction, Bodog Brand’s head of global PR Ed Pownall tried to uncover exactly what the problem was, but the FT folks couldn’t provide any specific objection, just that they weren’t sure the ad was something their readers wanted to be suddenly confronted with upon turning the page. Undeterred, Pownall asked for confirmation that the FT was rejecting the ad because they felt it was sexist or politically incorrect, and just like that, the FT folks ceased their waffling and deemed the ad fit to run as is.
Honestly, we’re at a bit of a loss to understand why the FT raised any objections in the first place. In the historic ‘sexy v. sexist’ debate, that ad isn’t exactly the cover of Spinal Tap’s Smell The Glove, is it?
Whatever rationale was behind the FT’s initial reluctance, any concerns over the ad being something their readership would find repellent have since been emphatically debunked. To date, the Bodog Brand has received over 500 CV’s, and more are still pouring in. The response has been so overwhelming, it’s almost a shame that there can only be one MD of Bodog88 (the lucky winner is expected to be named in early November, but those not chosen could find their CV entered into a bonus draw for positions at other Bodog Brand licensees, such as Bodog Europe and Slots.com, which are also seeking to add to their employment rosters (unlike most other companies in our sector).
Beyond serving its initial purpose as a method of recruiting top talent, the ad has taken on a viral life of its own since its publication. Reports from the field indicate that execs have been scanning the ad into their computers and emailing it around the globe to financial trading floors in London, New York, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and anywhere else men are gainfully employed.
It really shouldn’t come as any great surprise that a company looking to attract executive talent in a male-dominated industry would employ imagery designed to appeal to male fantasies. But in reality, there’s nothing all that fantastical about Bodog’s pitch. Living and working in Asia really is every bit as great as people imagine it to be. The difference is that while other companies in our sector may only whisper about the benefits, Bodog chooses to shout them out loud. This really is the greatest job available in the online gaming world, so if you think you’re up to the task, get your resumé off ASAP to [email protected].
