Big marketing spend on new online casino

The recent launch of French land casino company Lucien Barriere’s new 3D online casino, Le Croupier.com, is backed by a seven figure marketing budget, reports NetImperative.
The highly interactive and customisable Internet casino offering is inspired by Lucien Barrière’s own bricks and mortar casinos across France, creating a virtual replica of the group’s world-famous casino in Deauville. It uses proprietary software developed by Barrière Interactive Gaming, and will be marketed as an extension of the Lucien Barrière brand.
Marketing plans include promotion through banners on the site and via links on various sites owned by the group, with the UK as the main target initially. A seven-figure sum will be spent on marketing, public relations and advertising, and Skywrite Communications has been commissioned to advise, co-ordinate and implement the online and offline communications strategy.
Starting this (March) month the campaign spans print, online media and outdoor activity, leading with the message “Is it real or virtual? Both, actually.”
Featuring an image of a ‘real’ person placed in the virtual LeCroupier.com world, the creative offers the proposition that the online experience is so real it is almost like being in the Lucien Barrière casino in Deauville.
The transvision outdoor campaign will be a 20-second version of the main LeCroupier.com available online.
Launched Thursday, the print campaign runs in The Metro, national and lifestyle media such as Esquire, GQ, OK and Heat and gambling titles.
The outdoor campaign is scheduled to go live on 6 April 2009 and run for two weeks, running in 16 train stations across the UK, including London Victoria, Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central.
Announcing the launch, Jon Strock, Chief Operating Officer for LeCroupier.com said: “With our 47-year heritage in managing 40 land-based casinos, LeCroupier.com is uniquely positioned to provide the best online casino in the market. With the first truly 3D online casino, featuring life-like avatars and the possibility to interact with other players, we are confident that LeCroupier.com will be the next generation in online casinos. Anyone entering LeCroupier.com will be able to immerse themselves in the same fun and sophisticated environment they would enjoy in the real-life Lucien Barrière casino in Deauville.”
With the UK the only market with clear legislation, regulation and authorisation of online gambling, a ‘for cash’ version of LeCroupier.com will initially only be launched to the UK market.
Lucien Barriere plans to expand LeCroupier.com with further offerings going forward, including poker, betting and a mobile version.

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