Event sponsor Paddy Power was in full view on Saturday as Cheshire prodigy Luke Littler, to no one’s surprise, lifted his second consecutive PDC World Darts trophy at Ally Pally, picking up the sport’s first ever £1m prize and his 10th major trophy in just 21 attempts in the process.
Of more interest from a marketing perspective, however, was the sponsor’s decision to blur its logo at the previous evening’s semi-final to highlight the rare eye condition suffered by semi-finalist Ryan Searle.
Following his quarter-final success over world No.5 Jonny Clayton on New Year’s Day, Searle spoke candidly about the visual challenges he faces at the oche due to Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA) – and how he’s determined to raise both funds and awareness.
The genetic eye problem means he is sometimes unable to see where his darts land on the board, and while his son doesn’t suffer as badly as himself, Searle hopes a cure can be found for his daughter, who is registered as visually impaired, so she can drive a car when she’s older.
The former window cleaner, nicknamed ‘Heavy Metal’ due to his love of the music genre, has helped raise more than £15,000 for the Cure ADOA Foundation, and tournament sponsor Paddy Power showed their support with a visual campaign they hope will help the 38-year-old’s cause.
The signature ‘180 boards’ held aloft by fans all featured the brand’s name in blurred writing, along with tables on the stage and their digital signage at Alexandra Palace also being distorted to demonstrate how Ryan’s vision can be impaired.
The change to the in-venue branding appeared during Searle’s debut Paddy Power World Darts Championship semi-final match on Friday against eventual champion Luke Littler.
In addition to highlighting the cause through their ‘blurred’ in-venue branding activation, Paddy Power has also pledged to match the £15,000 raised so far for the Cure ADOA Foundation.
Hedy Smit-Wigchers, a board member at the Cure ADOA Foundation, said ahead of the match: “We’re so proud of everything Ryan has achieved so far at Ally Pally. The vital funds and awareness he’s helped raise for the Cure ADOA Foundation will have a life-changing effect for thousands of people. Whatever happens tonight, Ryan is our hero.”
Paddy Power added in a statement: “Ryan plays at the top of the sport while managing a serious eye condition. We thought the clearest way to acknowledge that was to blur our own logo to highlight this cause.
“Turns out sometimes the sharpest message is a slightly blurred one.”
