There are few things I enjoy more than a celebrity emerging with an entirely new face and expecting everyone to behave normally.
Caesars Sportsbook recently gave former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews a jawline that could open canned goods and the kind of dramatic makeover that usually comes with a six-part documentary and a heartfelt interview with People magazine.
Fortunately, it was all prosthetics.
The transformation is part of Caesars’s Had Some Work Done campaign, launched in September to show off improvements to its sportsbook app. And I appreciate the commitment to the bit. Someone pitched giving a former NFL linebacker an elaborate Hollywood makeover to talk about sportsbook technology and an entire team decided to see it through.
It’s a pretty clever way to get people talking about something that might otherwise have been another perfectly respectable app update.
Unfortunately, people have memories
Caesars Sportsbook has spent the past several years improving its app, adding expanded betting markets and features including Flex Parlays, Squad Builder and Injury Protection. Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital, acknowledged that some bettors may remember an earlier version of the app. The campaign is a chance to introduce them to what’s changed.
Which makes sense, because consumers have surprisingly long memories when it comes to things that mildly inconvenienced them.
You download an app, don’t love it, and move on. Meanwhile, the company spends years improving the experience, hiring talented people, and addressing the things that might have frustrated you. But unless someone tells you, you have no idea. You’re still operating with an opinion you formed three phones ago.
And there are plenty of consumers in that category. People recognize a brand, know what it offers and may have even tried it before, but haven’t paid much attention since.
The 2026 CMO Survey found that companies spend an average of 26% more on customer acquisition than retention, with 82% reporting larger acquisition budgets. That’s across industries, but it raises a good question for gaming marketers who have spent years introducing their brands to consumers: What about the people who already know you? They don’t necessarily need another introduction. They need a reason to be curious again.
Please admire the new jawline
Sports betting advertising has changed considerably since 2021. The American Gaming Association’s latest research shows sportsbook television ad units declined 9% in 2025 and are nearly 50% below their 2021 peak. Overall advertising volume across channels has fallen 27% from that peak.
Consumers have had years to get familiar with the major operators and many already have their preferred platforms. Caesars could have produced a perfectly respectable commercial explaining its newest features. Instead, it gave Clay Matthews a face that looks like it came with a premium subscription.
There’s a useful marketing idea behind the joke. People are much more likely to notice a dramatic transformation than a list of incremental improvements. Matthews’s makeover makes the concept of change instantly recognizable, even if viewers can’t name a single new app feature afterward.
That gives Caesars an opportunity to reach people who might otherwise assume they already know what the sportsbook offers. The commercial creates a little curiosity, which can lead someone to explore the app and see the improvements for themselves. Whether they become a customer or return as one depends on the experience they find there.
It’s a challenge plenty of businesses across gaming and hospitality recognize. Casinos renovate gaming floors, hotels update rooms, restaurants rethink menus, and customers who formed opinions years ago may have no idea anything changed.
Caesars has found a pretty entertaining way to ask people to take another look. And as for Clay Matthews, I hope someone has told him his original face was perfectly fine.
