Exploiting a potential international audience of 157 million football fans, Pokerstars has launched its biggest marketing campaign yet – an exclusive Facebook initiative starring global sports giants Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.
The players’ Facebook fans have been given an exclusive preview of new videos featuring the duo, with Youtube versions also published here:
The giant online poker company is combining the enormous popularity of Ronaldo and Neymar Jr, with the unparalleled scale and sophisticated targeting tools offered by Facebook to engage gaming and sports fans and maximise the impact of the campaign.
Ronaldo is Facebook’s most popular public figure with more than 104 million fans. Neymar Jr has more than 53 million Facebook fans.
The videos have been produced by top commercial and music video director Vaughan Arnell and were shot on location in Madrid and Barcelona. Arnell has worked on TV commercials for brands including Levis and Dove, but is most famous for his collaborations with Robbie Williams and One Direction.
Each video features poker as the centrepiece of the athletes’ evening with friends, and highlights the fun, social and competitive aspects of the game.
PokerStars announced sponsorship deals with Brazilian football superstar, Neymar Jr, and arguably the world’s best known footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, earlier this summer.
Tarquin Henderson, Head of EMEA Gaming Sales at Facebook, commented: “People come to Facebook to discover things that matter to them, whether it’s photos from their friends and family, videos from brands they love, or posts from their favourite celebrities.
“PokerStars’ campaign combines the best of this – fresh, engaging content from two of the biggest footballers on the planet. And thanks to Facebook’s scale and unparalleled targeting tools, these videos will reach the most relevant audience, from poker and gaming fans to football aficionados.”
To coincide with the global TV launch on August 17, PokerStars will also be running a separate promotion called ‘Dream Team Collection’. This involves online poker challenges and puzzles that incorporate Ronaldo and Neymar Jr, giving fans and poker players a chance to win various prizes plus a shot at $1,000,000.