Golden LA’s Tim K Directs BetRivers Campaign for TMA
BetRivers Sportsbook & Casino debuts a new series of films starring the time-traveling legendary party boy, Bert Rivers. Directed by Golden LA’s Tim K for TMA, the BetRivers spots feature the incredibly entertaining fictional spokesperson, Bert Rivers, being frozen in the 1970s and waking up today where his beloved casino is now in everyone’s pockets.
The hilarious stylized films perfectly showcase the player-first casino and sportsbook app, leaning into several cinematic hallmarks of the 1970s. Enhancing Bert Rivers' amusing fish-out-of-water character arc, each wildly engaging spot has animated title cards and a musical earworm stinger that perfectly complements the Bert Rivers vibe. Golden LA and TMA teamed up for a three-day shoot in Toronto to bring the saga of Bert Rivers to life. Following Bert’s journey from being frozen in the '70s to defrosting in the present day, his high learning curve and enthusiasm for betting, gaming, and gambling demonstrate how easy it is to learn the ins and outs of the BetRivers “pocket casino.”
Nine scripted vignettes directed by Tim K show the BetRivers app's many features, including modern in-app customer support and old-school fun. With Tim K’s unmatched comedic prowess and pitch-perfect dialogue from TMA, BetRivers told an original character-based story based around its innovative product. Bert Rivers’ path from awe and confusion to quick acceptance and unbridled excitement is the perfect proxy for a viewing audience learning how simple it is to use the BetRivers app. The ad campaign kicks off with the Bert Rivers origin story: the BetRivers spokes-character wanders into a casino’s walk-in freezer looking for a late-night snack, where he gets locked in—upon waking in the 21st century, he asks where the nearest casino is and quickly finds a woman playing slots on her phone. From there, his captivating escapades expand to the world of BetRivers, cargo shorts and their huge pockets, hair salon banter with wry grandmas, and more.
Tim K says of directing these spots, “I was immediately drawn to this character. I haven’t seen anything like it in the mobile or gambling space, and I was excited to build this world around him. The ‘70s was such an iconic time for movies, culture, and human behavior, so with Bert as the perfect embodiment of everything that made that period so memorable, bringing him into 2024 made for instant comedic gold. Our performers were wonderful to work with, and I’m very proud of these BetRivers spots.”
“Tim knocked this out of the park,” remarks Matthew Marquis, managing director of Golden LA. “He’s an incredible comedic director. His sense of humor elevates everything from the script to the camera movements and cinematic technique. This character is also infectiously fun— sometimes when talking to Tim about the project, that fine line between him and Bert grew fuzzy. He was becoming Bert. the metamorphosis was real!”
CREDITS
PRODUCTION:
US Production Company: Golden LA
Managing Director: Matthew Marquis
Director: Tim K
Executive Producer: Geoff McLean
Executive Producer: Dahlia Stone
Producer: Nathaniel Greene
Production Manager: Gunther
DoP: Barry Parrell
Production Designer: Brad Wilson
Wardrobe Stylist: Abigail Jones
Makeup and hair: Shawna Lee
CAD Production Company: Vision Films
Executive Producer & Founder: Geoff McLean
Executive Producer: Lawrence Payne
MUSIC:
Original Composition: CAYA
ECD: Benjamin Einziger
CD: Tim Adams
EP: Kiki Einziger
AGENCY CREDS:
Harris Wilkinson – Chief Creative Officer
Leo Santos – Executive Creative Director
Mike Maloney – Associate Creative Director
Scott Wolf - Associate Creative Director
Susan O’leary Ciapciak – Svp, Account Management
Morgan Dunford – Account Director
Patti Chavez-Meehan – Sr. Account Executive
Matt Williams – Sr. Producer, Video Production
Corey Hart – Sr. Director, Print Production
Angie Whittenhall – Manager, Business Affairs
Meredith Carpenter – Associate Director, Business Affairs
Lisa Haayen – Sr. Strategist
Lyndall Franklin – Sr. Strategist
RUSH STREET INTERACTIVE CREDS:
Brian Sapp, CMO, Rush Street Interactive
Kyle Morrison, Director of Brand, Rush Street Interactive
Calum Beedling, Associate Creative Director, Rush Street Interactive
POST PRODUCTION:
Post Production Company: Omnicom Studios
Head of Studio, Los Angeles: Erica August
Executive Producer, Post: Kelly Matousek
Editor: Kevin Zimmerman
Assistant Editors: Molly Gandour, Shayne Tanabe
Colorist: Matthew Schwab
Audio: Jared Mooney, Addison Houck
Lead VFX Producer: Hannah Squeglia
VFX + Animation Leads: Robby Geis, Steven Spady
VFX Supervisor: Peter McAuley
