totepool puts consumers in the saddle with the launch of exciting viral campaign by Skive Creative

This week, totepool launches an exiting new viral campaign to promote its exclusive pool betting service. Coinciding with the Cheltenham Festival and created by digital content specialists, Skive Creative, the new viral game directs users to a specifically created microsite, www.abetterwaytobet.com. With the aim of introducing consumers who may not usually place pool bets online, the microsite offers a comprehensive learning guide to the range of pool betting opportunities on offer. This is the fourth interactive marketing campaign Skive has developed for tote after three highly successful campaigns in 2004, which collectively achieved over 14 million plays.

Riman Verma, Online Sports Betting Manager at tote, comments: "The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest and most popular National Hunt Festival in the world and a key event in the sporting calendar. We commissioned Skive to create the new viral game and microsite to promote awareness of our exclusive online pool betting service and introduce consumers to this exciting, and more often rewarding, way of betting.”

‘Stay The Distance’, a Flash game, mirrors the excitement and drama of the big races at the festival, putting users in the saddle to try to win the big race. Players can select one of six horses to race: the longer the odds on a horse, the harder it will be to win, but the more bonus points awarded upon race completion. During the race, users need to keep an eye on their horse’s energy, jump the fences and make judicious use of the whip. Users can then submit their score into a hi-score table, where they have the chance to win a VIP package for two to Royal Ascot at York, one of five passes to Ebor Day at York, or ancillary prizes of free bets.

Skive’s Managing Director, Sean Singleton, says: “Skive’s games for tote have had millions of plays and generated huge awareness of the brand. By creating a microsite for this campaign, we were able to more effectively extend tote’s brand messages and communicate the key benefits of the totepool offering.”

Aimed at the over 18s market, the campaign will be placed on sites such as TTR2, FHM and Lycos, as well as several email newsletter distribution partners. The game will also be distributed to tote’s affiliate partners’ databases.
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Editor’s notes

About Skive Creative
Skive Creative is one of the fastest growing digital agencies, with a strong reputation for developing engaging and effective interactive content. The company works with clients to assist them in connecting to consumers through engaging and innovative online content.

Recent Skive campaigns include work for clients such as england-direct.com, Hasbro, SkySports.com, PlayStation 2, Sony Ericsson, NIVEA, AXA, BBC Five Live, Wrigley’s X-Cite, Vodafone live!, Shiseido, and GaryRhodes.com.

www.skivecreative.com

About tote
• Totepool holds the exclusive licence for pool betting in the UK
• To bet on line go to www.totesport.com
• To open a totesport credit account call 0800 661 160 to open a debit account call 0800 221221
• Totesport have 458 shops across Britain
For all the latest totesport prices see CH4 teletext 667/668 or Sky text 376


Contact
Anna Vickerstaff
0845 408 2031
pressoffice@immediatefuture.co.uk


Paul Petrie
tote
01942 617735