PokerStars India, operated by Sachiko Gaming, launched India’s first ever poker TV commercial and announced its association with Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who stars in the adverts. The launch and association is designed to strengthen the brand’s resonance as it seeks to bring the concepts of poker to a wider audience.
Three television commercials have been shot, each with a different narrative, challenging the audience to work out whether they think Nawaz is bluffing in the scenarios, or not. One features Nawaz trying to use a poker chip as everyday money, one follows him as he attempts to take on a role inspired by James Bond and one sees him analysing the behaviour of people in a café. The commercials shine a light on the different and varied skills needed to play poker, such as reading body language, eventually leading Nawaz to the poker tables.
Viewers are encouraged to vote on whether they think Nawaz is bluffing for the chance to win prizes. Those who vote will receive tickets to free poker tournaments which will give out more than 0.5 million in guaranteed prizes, ranging from cash to high tech items such as Smart TVs, smartphones, wireless headphones, smart speakers and powerbank chargers. The free tournaments take place every Sunday from 8 to 24 March at PokerStars’ official website.
“It’s a great pleasure to be associated with PokerStars India”, said Siddiqui, “I have been intrigued by poker for some time now as I believe it hits the magic balance between being easy to learn yet gives ongoing opportunities to increase your knowledge and master the game. PokerStars is one of the most popular and trusted poker brands in the world thanks to its wide range of tournaments and games, excellent 24/7 customer support, top level security and award-winning software. I am looking forward to improving my poker skills alongside some of the best professional poker players at PokerStars India.”
The advert was produced with creative agency Ogilvy who brought the concept of the bluff to life through engaging and fun narratives designed to entertain but also encourage people to work out whether Nawaz is bluffing and try their hand at the game themselves.
“We are delighted to partner with Nawaz for this ground-breaking TV advert. Nawaz is one of the most engaging and, popular and personalities in Bollywood who has shown great resilience, determination and skill to get to where he is today. These are all key attributes belonging to poker players and PokerStars India so we could not have partnered with anyone better. I look forward to working with him on many successful projects in the future,” said Sachiko Gaming CEO Ankur Dewani.
To see the poker skills in action, viewers can tune into the broadcasts of the PokerStars-sponsored Global Poker League (GLP) India, the country’s premier long-run poker league. The first show will be aired on 9 March on Color Infinity channel. Two 22-minute episodes will be aired weekly with the final broadcast on 30 March. Six teams from across the country will play poker and compete to win 10 million and be crowned champions. Professional poker players Aditya Agarwal and Muskan Sethi, who are both sponsored by PokerStars India, captain two of the teams, the Kolkata Creators and the Delhi Diehards respectively. Each team is comprised of a team captain, two experienced, high level poker players, and two online qualifiers from PokerStars India.