LONDON,
UNITED KINGDOM - (Marketwire - Nov. 1, 2010) - Virgin
Games, the leading online gaming company, has
launched its first ever television advertising campaign
for its casino site, Virgin
Casino. The advert aims to cement Virgin Casino's
position as the home of online slots by promoting
the wide range of games that the company now offers,
and the fact that it launches at least one new game
every week.
The
20 second advert, which is part of a £500,000
campaign, uses a space theme to introduce viewers
to the world of Virgin Casino and features well known
online game titles such as Cleopatra, Da Vinci Diamonds
and Monopoly Multiplier. It was produced by ABF Pictures
with MGOMD acting as media planners and buyers.
Oliver
Wilson, Casino Acquisition Manager, commented: "We
had such a fantastic response from our first Virgin
Bingo ad launched last year that we decided that this
was the right way to go for Virgin Casino. Bingo received
a 100 per cent increase in player registrations on
the back of the first adverts aired late last year
and this evidence suggests it makes absolute sense
for TV to play a significant part in the marketing
mix for the casino product.
"TV
advertising is a new strategy for Virgin Casino and
we believe a natural fit. Consumers like the familiarity
and security of knowing they are playing with a trusted
and reputable company. Being part of the Virgin brand
helps this, while TV raises awareness of the casino
product and the range of slot games we offer."
The
advert premieres on 1st November and will run for
two weeks. It is a test campaign covering two UK regions
that will test Direct Response TV prior to a national
heavyweight rollout in the future. The two week campaign
will run mainly on ITV and Channel 4.
The
TV advertising will be supported by a range of direct
response activity including PPC and Display Media.
Affiliate marketing will also play a significant role
in the campaign and will run through Virgin Games'
in-house affiliate system.
Launched
in 2004, Virgin Games is one of the UK's leading online
gaming sites. To visit Virgin Games go to www.virgingames.com.
Notes
to editors:
About
Virgin Games:
Virgin Games (www.virgingames.com)
launched in June 2004 and has quickly established
itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the
UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct offerings:
•
Virgin Casino, offers content from a range of games
suppliers including WagerWorks, Microgaming, Cryptologic,
Freemantle and Ash Gaming, bringing consumers classic
casino games like Blackjack and Roulette, as well
as great feature slots like Monopoly, Rubik's, X-Factor
and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games.
•
Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers
a huge array of games and content for beginners through
to experienced pros – as well as the most generous
loyalty scheme in the industry.
•
Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers
cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive
jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range
of unique Virgin Games bingo games.
Richard
Branson Expanding Virgin Gaming iGaming Empire,
by Greg Tingle - 20th May 2010
Gaming, gambling and iGaming fans, have we got some
news hot of the press for you. Our bat phone has
been running hot hot hot!
For
the past few months Media
Man and Gambling911 have been keeping you updated
on all sorts of exciting developments at Richard
Branson's Virgin Group, namely Virgin
Casino, Virgin Games, Virgin Poker, Virgin Bingo,
and offshoot, AWOMO (A World Of My Own), with a
DGI (Game Domain International) tie in. Last week
Branson's Virgin Racing also sponsored Full
Tilt Poker.
Richard
Branson will unleash the Virgin return to the video
gaming sector at the E3 event in Los Angeles, USA,
in June.
We
understand that a hard launch is being orchestrated,
with Sir Branson, the one and only, in attendance.
Can't wait to see what the man and his army wear
and what sorts of stunts they have up their sleeve,
but Branson isn't usually one to disappoint.
Virgin
was one of the most successful brands to have ever
competed in the video gaming industry, albeit over
a decade ago, but 2010 is looking to be a record
breaking year for the brands re birth, pardon the
pun.
RB
was one of the first pioneers - visionaries to see
the massive potential of computer software as a
global Virgin entertainment business, establishing
Virgin Games in downtown London circa 1984. He later
moved the core of the operation to Guernsey which
has lower overheads and is understood to be more
igaming industry friendly!
A
Bit Of History
The
company acquired Mastertronic and rolled Sega's
Master System across the European region.
Sega
Europe continued to power along, then Virgin Interactive
Entertainment.
In
1994 it lost its Virginity, being acquired by Blockbuster
for a cool $250 million, then was purchased by media
powerhouse Viacom (which owns about half the media
world).
Virgin
Interactive Entertainment reached its financial
global revenue peak in 1997, bringing home the bacon
to the tune of $210 million.
Circa
94 - 98 it shared market dominance with EA (Electronic
Arts).
Virgin
saw partners and affiliates come on board including
such greats Westwood, Bethesda, Capcom, LucasArts
and Disney.
Since
2004 Virgin Games has been V's staple gaming brand,
other gaming ventures basically on ice... until
now!
The
new gaming "start up" (of sorts), expected
to go public at E3 will see Virgin pro actively
exploring partnerships with publishers, content
owners, and you get the idea. The timing looks to
be right with 'Avatar' type technologies all the
rage, movies being adapted to games in record time,
and the availability of broadband internet at reasonable
prices.
Internet,
console formats and more will see the big V feature
red hot games, both classics and newbies. Think
Space Invaders to Cleo to Avatar, and their cousins.
Gamers
are calling for interactive slot games, tournaments,
TV and movie brands, and more casino and poker type
experiences, in addition to what they already enjoy.
Insiders
expect some sort of firm announcement from Virgin
at the expo or soon after re return to the mainstream
games market.
Punters,
fire up the consoles...Xbox Live, PlayStation Network,
multi-player PC gaming and more is just around the
corner from the man who brought you Virgin Records,
V Festival and Virgin Galactic... be excited...
we sure as hell are.
At
the moment Americans and Australians are not able
to play casino, poker or bingo games at Virgin,
however with the expansion of Virgin
Games, and the push to clear up any gray areas
in regions such as the U.S and down under in Australia,
the whole suite of Virgin Games may go global sooner
rather than later.
Competitors
of sorts, PartyGaming - including PartyCasino
and poker brands, Betfair
and Centrebet,
are all said to be watching this space closely.
Australia's Fairfax Media, publisher of The Sydney
Morning Herald and News Limited, publisher of The
Daily Telegraph and The Australian, are also following
for both potential deal opportunities and in a journalistic
(journalism) capacity. Foxtel has only just got
wind of the news, putting out its own gaming related
press release less than 24 hours before this publication.
Yep,
gamers and igamers... Tomb Raider, Rome Total War,
Cleopatra, Flatout, WarHammer Mark Of Chaos, Pain
Killer: Black Edition, maybe even Dan Dare and who
knows what surprises will be jumping out of your
computer once Team Branson turns on the turbo and
blasts off Virgin Galactic style. TNA Wrestling,
Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Bill Goldberg, UFC, NASCAR,
F1 and Bull Run are all understood to also want
to talk turkey and potential deals with Branson
and 'V'.
Marvel
Entertainment, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Playtech,
IGT, World Poker Tour, WSOP, SKY, Harrah's Entertainment,
Trump Casinos, Infinity Ward, Sony and Sega remain
tight lipped on the Virgin developments.
Virgin
Games, AWOMO (A World Of My Own), bring in on...
faster than you can say Virgin Racing Inks Deal
With Full Tilt Poker! Read about the life and times
of Branson and his world of planes, trains and automobiles
(and spaceships) on the CasinoNewsMedia.com
website portal. Hours of entertainment for free.
Virgin
remains one of dozens of corporate tech and communications
giants seeking clarity on Australian censorship
laws, both online and offline.
*Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media
Manhttp://www.CasinoNewsMedia.com
is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal
development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen
of industry sectors they cover
*The
writer is has conducted business with a number of
arms of the Virgin Group and is a pro active member
of Virgin Unite
Virgin
Group Ltd is a conglomeration of separately run
companies that each use the Virgin brand of British
celebrity business tycoon Sir Richard Branson. The
core business areas are travel, entertainment and
lifestyle, among others. Virgin Group's date of
incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House,
who class it as a holding company; however Virgin's
business and trading activities date to the 1970s.
Although
Branson retains complete ownership and control of
the Virgin Brand, the commercial set up of companies
using it is varied and complex. The group is sometimes
perceived as a conglomerate, but this is not in fact
the case. Each of the companies operating under the
Virgin brand are separate entities, with some being
wholly owned by Branson, while he holds minority or
majority stakes in others. Occasionally, he simply
licenses the brand to a company that has purchased
a division from him, such as Virgin Radio (now part
of SMG plc) and Virgin Music (now part of EMI). With
a few exceptions, all of the companies began as wholly
owned Virgin subsidiaries.
Media
Man Australia enjoys a business relationship with
a number of business arms of Virgin Enterprises Limited.
The details of which are commercially sensitive in
nature.
