How DraftKings hit a Homerun with Kevin Hart as Pitchman

When you look at a multi-billion-dollar industry like mobile sports betting, it’s interesting 

 to think about all the factors that go into making it tick. One of the most obvious of those factors is advertising. Without compelling marketing campaigns (not too much, not too little, crafted with market research in mind and designed perfectly for the target audience at hand) it’s difficult to get a brand off the ground. 

We’ve seen a handful of betting apps like DraftKings (founded in 2012) and FanDuel (founded in 2009) get off the ground to become massive earners as sports betting takes the nation by storm. Here’s a look at the ads that drive their success. 

Compelling Charisma

Anyone can read a sales pitch script, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to do a good job. Finding the right person to sell a message can turn a decent advertisement into an all-time great.

That’s what DraftKings has at their disposal with comedian Kevin Hart. He’s a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, so he fits right in with the NFL fan demographic, but his background as an actor and comedian means that he’s notable on a far larger basis. We can look at Hart’s 2023 Superbowl commercial which included sporting legends Emmitt Smith, David Ortiz, Julius Erving, Lisa Leslie, and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. The average person (i.e., a non-sports fan) may not recognize these figures if they passed them on the street. They are going to recognize Hart, though, and recognition is a powerful weapon for the advertiser. Recognition allows a customer’s brain to connect the dots, creating a feeling of reward that is implicitly connected to the brand on the screen.

Companies like DraftKings Kentucky are going to continue to look to establish partnerships with high-profile celebrities with huge followings. Kevin Hart is one example of how successful a popular pitchman can be in building a brand. Another example is the deal Canadian rap superstar Drake signed, a $100 million-per-year endorsement deal with Stake in 2022, and who hasn’t seen the charismatic commercials that actors Jamie Foxx and JB Smoove put on for BetMGM and Caesars Palace, respectively?

What’s the Strategy?

Of course, brands don’t want to become over-reliant on one form of advertising. As charismatic as a pitchman as Kevin Hart is, no two customers are the same, and employing a variety of different advertising approaches and marketing campaigns helps betting sites appeal to the widest variety of customers. 

For a game like the Super Bowl, advertisers have to change their strategy. Rather than catering to a largely exclusive audience of sports fans as they do during the regular season, many people tune in to the big game who don’t even like football: they’re there for ads or the halftime show. Here are some of the reasons why the Kevin Hart and DraftKings commercials have been so successful:

As I already touched on, Kevin Hart is a popular and relatable celebrity. While some celebrities are notorious for not being easy to work with or being standoffish to the public, Hart’s job as a comedian means he has to know how to get his message across (including using tone and body language) in a way that the audience will pick up on. His humor and personality make him an effective spokesperson for DraftKings.

Hart’s commercials are funny and entertaining, putting the comic in scenarios that are entertaining (like when the 5-foot-2 actor tries to flirt with 6-foot-5 Lisa Leslie, a retired WNBA star. Funny commercials are some of the best at bringing in new customers for the same reason that ads with lots of star power succeed: viewers feel better when they watch them, and associate those feelings with the brand. A balance of fact (as Hart describes what customers stand to gain from using DraftKings, like free bets) and fun (the light-hearted tone of the ad) makes for a killer advertising combo. 

Lastly, the commercials are well-targeted. Hart and company are enjoying a Super Bowl party, much like the viewers were at the instant they saw the commercial air, drawing a connection between advertiser and customer. 

What’s the Impact? 

Overall, the Kevin Hart and DraftKings partnership has been a huge success. They have helped to make DraftKings a household name, and they have driven traffic to the company's website and app. 

DraftKings' Super Bowl commercial with Kevin Hart received rave reviews. Even more important, roughly one-third of people in the United States saw the ad, as Super Bowl LVII averaged over 110 million viewers. In addition to the Super Bowl commercial, DraftKings has also released several other commercials featuring Kevin Hart, ads that were well-received by viewers.

As a result of the success of the Kevin Hart commercials, DraftKings has seen its revenue and user base grow significantly. In the fourth quarter of 2022 alone, DraftKings reported revenue of $855 million, a 57% increase year-over-year. The company also reported millions of active users each month.