Gala Bingo, the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign (MCAC) and Coronation Street pooled their respective talents to organise a game of bingo with the largest set of bingo balls ever. The allusion to massive balls doesn’t need too much explanation, and attempts to demystify this aspect of masculinity are an important part of the MCAC’s vital cause.
There was also a Guiness World Record to beat and managing such big balls is never an easy feat – just ask Ashley Peacock. The gargantuan balls were deployed from the street’s famous bedrooms by some of our all-time favourite Corrie characters: Ashely, Maureen Webster, Nick Tilsley and Sunita Alahan expertly wrestled the balls out of the bedrooms featured in the Rovers Return, No. 1 (the Barlow boudoir), and No. 5 (Tyrone’s seldom frequented bedroom).
Alison Hammond and Jeff Brazier frantically called the numbers, as the giant balls descended on the expectant heads of the fevered participants, whose bingo daubers thrust like pistons as the action spiralled to a scintillating climax.
45 players took part in the action, but 90 in total enjoyed a once in a lifetime tour of the famous Corrie set. The oversize game of bingo had doubled as a fine way for some fans to say goodbye to the iconic cobbles of the current Corrie set, before it moves to a shiny new home on Manchester’s Salford Quays. There are some subtle differences on the new set, such as added windows, widened streets and shallower bays, but even the most ardent fan would be hard pressed to ring the changes.
Gala have already raised £10,500 for the MCAC and they’ve committed 20% of all future proceeds from the Coronation Street bingo game to the cause. MCAC ambassador Rhian Sugden was there to accept the cheque.
GalaBingo.com Director, Alison Digges said: “We wanted to do something special for the launch of Corrie Bouncy Balls, something involving balls! We love the innovative, educational approach MCAC takes, so we’re delighted to work with them. And a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt seemed like a good way to get everyone’s attention. So we’ve organised a bingo game on Coronation Street, invited some ex-cast members and have raised money for charity, all at the same time!”
There’s a serious message in all of this thinly disguised innuendo and these are the kinds of innovative marketing link-ups that really get these issues in the press and back on the agenda, so well-done to all concerned.
