TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

Total Media has won the multimillion pound Paradise Poker account, beating off two unnamed rival agencies in the pitch.

The announcement of the account win – believed to be worth £4m – came on the same day as the launch of a four-month campaign in newspapers, magazines, outdoor and ambient media to publicise the online Texas Holdem poker company in the UK; where the game has seen a surge in popularity.

A spokesman for Paradise Poker said: “We selected Total Media from the agencies we saw, because they presented a genuine understanding of our product, competitive pricing and unique enthusiasm for how to reach our target market.”

Guy Sellers, joint managing director of Total Media, told Media Week: “It’s great to be working with one of the world’s leading online poker brands and Total Media winning streak continues with Poker account helping them to develop their UK business.”

He said his agency did the media planning and buying for an online Texas Holdem games company called Flipside two years ago, adding: “It’s a sector that we have a feel for. Online poker is growing significantly in the UK. It’s going to be a fiercely contested market.”

The Paradise Poker account, which will be handled by Total Media’s account director, Nick Hammond, and account director, Jaron Wikler, is the latest in a string of successful wins for the independent agency this year.

Other account victories include the art gallery Compton Verney and West Sussex County Council.