888 unleashes unified global marketing strategy
London-listed operator unveils multi-channel Made to Play advertising campaign
888 has unveiled its first global master brand advertising strategy, which unifies the group’s online casino, sports betting and poker offerings under one campaign for the first time.
Made to Play draws on a previous 888poker marketing strategy of the same name, launched in October 2020, which won the poker marketing campaign of the year at the EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2021.
The campaign was produced in conjunction with London-based advertising agency Recipe, which has produced campaigns for Coca-Cola, Audible and HelloFresh.
A central pivot of this is to create a “single and consistent” marketing channel with strong brand positioning and to also draw on 888casino’s 25th anniversary and the resultant brand cachet.
The unified campaign includes 30- and 60-second advertisements which will be aired across TV, social media and video-on-demand services in the UK over the next five weeks.
Adverts aim to showcase the “dynamic and colourful” world of varying 888 players and the reasons why they play.
Over the coming months, the campaign will also be launched in additional countries. The 888 sub brands will each launch their own ‘Made to Play’ campaigns post-summer, supported by a complete set of multi-channel formats.
Speaking about the unified strategy, 888 VP of strategic marketing Sivan Finn Shalev highlighted the need for a unified message.
“The launch of our Made to Play master brand strategy is an important step for us, combining each of the strong brands we have built over the years under a consistent message that articulates what makes 888 stand out from the crowd and why our customers love playing with us,” Shalev said.
In comments reported by advertising news site Little Black Book, Recipe creative director Dan Jacobs cited the challenges involved in unification.
“Recipe navigated the choppy strategic waters of bringing together three business units in a way that would resonate with consumers across all three products,” Jacobs said.
“It goes without saying that the Made to Play campaign wouldn’t have happened without the brilliant clients at 888. But without Sivan and her team, it would never have been possible to get it off the ground in such record time,” he added.