Monday, June 28, 2004

8**.com Paradise or hell

Apologies for those of you that live outside london - but I don't know what the situation is outside our fair capital city - and if it isn't the same, I'm truly envious.

So after the long-winded beginning - what the hell am I referring too?

Well, for those of us poor beings that travel via London Transport these past few months, I'm referring to the hell that is the current advertising from 8**.com and Paradise Poker.

Far be it from me to insult these hugely successful sites - but I am sick and tired of seeing a barely-clad Caprice (who?) offering me the virtues of playing poker online. Who exactly is this aiming at? I must admit to 2 things - firstly, I didn't have a clue who it was and secondly, I didn't have a clue what this woman was advertising - until someone pointed it out.

Now, Paradise Poker was the very first poker site I ever played at - for freeplay. And it got me hooked from the outset - about 3 or 4 years ago now. The software wasn't great graphically but it was totally playable. However, I can honestly say I probably wouldn't give this site a second look nowadays. With advertising aimed solely at the pre-pubescant schoolboy, i'm not too sure exactly who they're aiming at. Granted the potential winnings are huge - but come on PP - the average player would have as much chance of hooking up with Caprice as they would winning the World Series. Whilst TV is making the game more 'glamourous' - we want to see the real poker player, both male and female (hey newsflash PP people, poker attracts women nowadays. Shock. Horror), complete with shaded glasses, facial ticks, dodgy hats and real, unwashed sweat. Thats what poker is all about. Playing the 'page 3' card is a total turn off - and the fact that I saw one tube ad half ripped out from the frame shows me exactly who this ad is attacting..

As for 8**.com - do these ads actually go through any senior management before they go live? Put another way - one ad says "97.9% payout" - another says "better odds than vegas". And these are the ones shown to the 'great british public' - more commonly known as the 'mass market'. Sometimes I'm embarrassed I've ever got involved with online gambling.

My issue here, despite the fact that they've been designed by a blind monkey on bad acid (sorry to all those blind, stoned monkeys out there), is that the average Great British person wouldn't have a clue what a payout return is. And if they do - they sure as hell wouldn't be going to visit 8**.com without a little research first. I understand these ads going into 'gaming' magazines or gambling websites - but a 'mass market' train station? Maybe its me not understanding who the ads are actually targeting here - all I can see is a total wastage of money and position - seemingly quite common with 8**.com advertising

Anyway, onto hell. Seems like a good option to me. Or has 8**.com got that market wrapped up as well?

Rant Over.
Normal broadcasting will resume shortly....


OK - I'm gonna post a little addendum to this. Before any smart alec points out that a semi-naked Caprice is perfect for advertising poker to 'blokes' - its this... I have no issue with Page 3, FHM - heck, I have no problem with Hustler or 'readers wives'. My point is that this ad does not 'promote' poker. In fact, on second look - i'm still trying to figure out why the cast of 'Antz' is climbing the tree. I've asked a few people and not one knew what it was advertising. Most - who had a vested interest in gambling or gambling advertising - had to look a few times before realising it was a poker ad. Yes - it attracts blokes. But not to poker...

posted by jo @ 6:04 PM   2 comments

2 Comments:

At 7:34 AM, Gamblog UK said...

Well I am no expert on marketing techniques or advertising campaigns but I reckon those 888 and poker ads are there to catch peoples eye every day rather than be informative oe truthful even.

I have seen those ads on billboards that cars drive by often at a speed no one could read any info anyhow so there must be some branding advertising going on, just like they did with the internet.

 
At 10:40 AM, jo said...

I agree to a point. And I think 8**.com have branding ads down to a tee - the fact that the branding doesn't look even remotely attractive - well, i'm not sure thats a good thing. I do know many non-gambling people that have asked me about them - and still get their name wrong.

The Paradise ad has no branding whatsoever. Its almost impossible to see who they are - all people remember is the girl - which in my opinion does little to promote or inject the idea of 'poker' in someones head

I guess it all boils down to the image of the online gambling industry. Its needs to get out from under a fairly bad, untrusting, seedy image - into one that provides legitimacy and trust. Personally, i'm not too sure its doing that with these ads

 

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