True Classic is shooting a comedic poker commercial and I want you guys involved!
Hey guys!
Some of you may have heard of my company True Classic, we do a lot of funny commercials and I want to do right by you guys. PokerGo has been a great partner of ours (you've prob seen our logo at the WSOP) and I want to shoot this at their studio at Aria.
Little background, I used to play for a living back in 2004-07 at MGM, playing the 2/5 NL game and living off poker comps. It was a rough time in my life but I learned a lot about risk tolerance and it helped shape my future as an entrepreneur. I didn't have any friends in Vegas and the poker community and dealers at MGM became my family. They truly were the greatest people I met while I lived there. [B](tweet from last year about showing u...
Here's where I need your help.
Casting: I want to get the best characters in the poker community, both online/live players. The big time pros will be expensive but I'm not opposed to using maybe one of them if you all feel it's right for the scene. This will be shot in Vegas so most of them in theory should be available.
Scene: Poker table at the PokerGo studios (easier because the lighting and set is dialed in already)
Script: Concept wise this is where the rubber meets the road and where I need the most help. Help me come up with some concepts of what the game should be, and how it should play out. I'm really open to anything but I want it to be very nuanced and specific to the poker community. I'm down to make fun of controversial moments in poker history, meltdowns, specific hands that are legendary, etc. I don't care about the general public understanding the nuanced jokes, I want YOU guys to understand the jokes and see the backstory behind them.
Whatever funny concept we end up going with has to relate back to the manta of True Classic, which is known for helping guys look and feel their best. The clothes really do make you look better, and in turn feel better. (about your appearance) That's the theme, so whatever concepts you throw out, just know that it has to tie back to the main theme of what the brand stands for. Might help to go to our [B]YouTube channel[/B] and watch some of our previous ads for inspo.
Thanks again guys, truly appreciate this community and I hope I do right by you all. I'm really trying to make this great. I'll be giving out free True Classic to the best responses.
Take care,
RB
13 Replies
I like the fit of your tee shirts. Absolutely, positively the easiest thing a guy can do to look better than the average guy is to stop wearing graphic tee shirts and instead wear a solid colored tee shirt that fits well, especially with better fitting arm openings. Although pencil arms are still going to look like pencil arms, but that is a gym issue.
I'm all for poker getting some love in commercials. And if possible give the great game of pot limit Omaha some love too.
Trust me, you don’t want these guys involved.
But best luck to you on this.
I think it could be strong to show the the final four players all repping different brands of shirts where each persons shirt is a little wonky, bacon neck, too baggy, etc which leads to the poker tells being spotted by the pro and being exploited.
but he can’t figure out the guy, with the shirt that hasn’t wavered under the stress of the heat and hot lights and at the end of the HU battle a hole starts to appear in the shirt of the pro, with the True Classic shirt wearer seeing this “hole” in his game AND the hole his shirt game, exploits the “pro” leaving true classic guy as the poker tournament winner and also the winner of the “unofficial” drip contest.
Money in the bank.
Maybe you can take inspiration from the GOAT comedic poker commercial, and the inspiration for my avatar:
I wouldn't pay a big name player. Actors doing a parody of them would be better/funnier and people who don't know the real players would still get the type. In fact, they would get it better. You could have some old cowboy type. Some guy who dresses in black with sunglasses and has temper tantrums. If you pay a real poker personality, I'd make it someone who is more lovable and under the radar. Those in the know would enjoy spotting them. Maybe some character from the glory days of the main event. Maybe a star from the past who could use the money.
A few beers gave me the idea of having a table full of parodies and stereotypes of different players engaged in a massive leveling war with internal monologues. So perhaps our star from the past opens. Teddy KGB re-raises and does the oreo tell. (I don't remember if it was a tell of weakness but I'll assume so.) An old man coffee folds kings. A Doyle type picks up on the oreo tell and re-raises. A Phil H type knows that the Doyle type knows the oreo tell and raises again. A Robbie type misreads her hand hand calls. All others fold. Robbie type wins with J high and Phil H melts down.
Just a general idea. I'm sure someone could make a better version.
will the commercial be mainstream TV or just on platforms like youtube during poker shows ? or will it pop up during random shows on tv ?
if its mainsteam then do something mainstream viewers will recognize like casino royale where they all have 4 of kind/straight flush/royal/flush but instead have bond in the tshirt (takes his blazer off due to sweating from pressure) and have them have hands like jack high /72 off etc where bond wins with Jack high or something silly for millions
if its just during poker streams/tvshows then you can do a HU match between doug polk in his usual vest Vs hero in your tshirt beating the best HU player in the world (the contrast between the vest and tee)
I love and own a lot of True Classic tees myself.
My random two cents - You could do a 'Rounders' themed commercial since so many know the movie and famous lines from it. You can choose who plays Mike, KGB, etc. This would appeal to more than just the hard core poker players.
- The first scene is Mike losing to KGB (the A9 vs AA hand) and show Mike walking away broke, sad, with a tattered, rolled up collared t-short on.
-Then cut to the second scene where Mike works KGB and takes his money, and KGB says the famous line 'Pay da man his money', but instead of actual money, he pays him with a big stack of True Classic tees, with Mike smiling, walking away from the table while wearing new Classic Tee.
You could also do something comedic with the tell Mike gets from KGB. Somehow fit that into something True Classic related.
I am happy to play Mike btw lol!
Not sure about any ideas yet but I just want to say that I wear hanes Ts every day at work and home and after reading this I'm switching to yours. The social media ads have been working on me anyway, but I buy the hanes like 40 at a time so I was waiting for them to wear down.
Martin Kabhrel spills whatever ridiculous juice he drinks on his shirt while playing a FT & hits his signature "Not Like Thisss"
Some other pro comes in clutch with a #TrueClassic shirt to save the day. He's feeling so good/confident/comfortable he quickly mops up the rest of the field and binks it. Pan from the winners photo to the pro who gave him the shirt who has a look of disgust and regret quietly muttering to himself "Not like this..."
You'll also save money because he's such an attenionwhore whale he'll very likely do it for free.
Martin Kabhrel spills whatever ridiculous juice he drinks on his shirt while playing a FT & hits his signature "Not Like Thisss" Some other pro comes in clutch with a #TrueClassic shirt to save the day. He's feeling so good/confident/comfortable he quickly mops up the rest of the field and binks it. Pan from the winners photo to the pro who gave him the shirt who has a look of
Martin probably would and that's a great idea just account for the director wanting hazard pay.
A final table with Martin Kabrehel , Will Kasoof , Phil Hellmuth and whatever other annoying poker players you can think of and theyre all talking nonstop... but The guy in True Classic clothing is unfazed calm cool and collected and one after another picks them off and wins the tournament. And at the end across the screen reads: "Feel your best play your best"
