- The billboard was displayed to 100,000 daily passengers at Dublin Airport Terminal 2
- The campaign launched on “World Cup Eve” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The ad generated millions of impressions across social media platforms
- The campaign expanded into experiential marketing with inflatable props
- Industry professionals praised the use of humour and transparency
Paddy Power has been generating significant attention through its Dan Oates Dublin Airport campaign, a self-deprecating out-of-home marketing stunt centred around a giant billboard in Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2. The campaign was designed to playfully mock England ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the billboard displayed to the 50,000 daily passengers passing through the terminal. The ad read: “Forgot your passport? At least you didn’t book this giant billboard two weeks before the World Cup started, Dan from Marketing.”
The campaign was spearheaded by Dan Oates, Senior Marketing Manager at Paddy Power, who found himself with an ad space that was booked unexpectedly early. The marketing team decided to lean into a humorous, meta approach to fill the space, launching the ad on “World Cup Eve”. The joke served as a double-edged comment—highlighting a fictional corporate blunder while subtly reminding Irish travelers that their squad did not qualify, all while executing classic Paddy Power mischief.
The campaign migrated from a physical billboard to a massive digital talking point, generating millions of impressions across social media platforms like LinkedIn. Industry professionals widely praised the campaign for using humour, transparency and emotion to connect with consumers without aggressive selling. Following the success of the billboard, the campaign expanded into experiential marketing, including a physical stunt involving a giant inflatable pair of “Paddy Power pants” and an air balloon.
Dan Oates shared: “We found ourselves with an ad space booked unexpectedly early and decided to lean into a humorous, meta approach to fill it.”
