How PokerBaazi Used Advertising to Redefine Poker as A Sport of Skills?

PokerBaazi is India’s leading Poker gaming platform with over 3 million active users. The platform offers a wide array of Poker games, suitable for all noobs & pro-level players. Moreover, PokerBaazi has not limited itself to entertainment and organizes online tournaments for players of all skill levels, offering cash prizes up to 2 Cr INR.

But why should every marketer need to analyze PokerBaazi & its empire in India? What’s so special about them? Poker has always been in doubt of being a game of LUCK & CHANCE, often accused of milking money from pockets. But the truth has always been 180-degrees against the common belief. Poker is a skill-centered game that relies on real-life skills, observation, and practice. PokerBaazi broke the chains of the old ideas and brought the sun to Poker's true side.

Changing Perception: How PokerBaazi Presented Poker as A Skill-based Sport?

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The common Indian land has always seen Poker like other fantasy games, associating it with the ‘LUCKY YOU’ terms, but PokerBaazi re-established it as a sport where LUCK is not the deciding factor, SKILLS are!

Check some examples of the skills used in Poker-

• Quick thinking with good memory recall.
• Keen observance.
• Outsmarting opponents.
• Reading people.
• Calculating on the go.
• Act under pressure.
• Calling a Bluff.

These are some of the essential life skills that one needs to enjoy success in life especially if you live in one of the most diverse countries- India. Unlike other fantasy & lottery-based games, PokerBaazi stood strong with its ideology in public and Indian courts, proving Poker a legitimate sport of pure skills. This changed the way poker used to be seen in the land; however, the messages needed to go public, strengthening the brand's position among the Indian commoners.

PokerBaazi ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’ Advertising Campaign - A Redefining Idea for the Game of Poker

PokerBaazi wanted to present Poker games in a different shade, winning the trust of the Indian people and redefining the game for them. But before everything, the brand needed to win conscious attention at first sight. Now the question was- How to Pull That Off?

Here are a few things that went right!

• PokerBaazi has created an easy & user-friendly interface.
• The brand has launched a wide range of games for players of all skill levels.
• Players get a chance to participate in online tournaments offering Cash Prizes, Discounts, Offers, and Attractive Deals.

Now, coming to the advertisement part, the brand launched an advertising campaign with Shahid Kapoor on May 1, 2024, during the airing of the Indian Premier League on JIO. The tagline was ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’.

The campaign featured several real-life scenarios where Shahid Kapoor solves problems with quirky & fun approaches, establishing a message ‘Jo Life Me Khelta Hai, Wo Poker Bhi Khel Sakta Hai’. The ads immediately gained a positive response as they featured a familiar face and were fun and quirky. But was that enough?

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Outdoor Metro Advertising Campaign- The Urban Takeover Made PokerBaazi A Premium Brand Like Never Before

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PokerBaazi and Vigyapan Mart started their partnership in 2023 to run outdoor advertising campaigns to cut through the market, attract viewers every time they pass through, and establish a strong brand recall. What were the agendas for the outdoor advertising campaign?

• Establish Poker as a game of skills in the Indian land, giving it the due attraction it deserves.
• Boost brand visibility through advertising in high-footfall regions.
• Establish PokerBaazi’s positioning as a market leader in the industry.

PokerBaazi X Vigyapan Mart: Timeline & Impact of the Outdoor Advertising

The brand aimed to connect with the audience in grand ways so instead of choosing conventional advertising methods, the duo decided to pull up some bold strings. They took over the Metro Stations completely, from walls to pillars, digital signs to billboards; not a single corner was left.

The outdoor advertising campaign started in May 2023 and is still ongoing, allowing everyday commuters to notice the creative ads and recall the brand's core message. The aim was simple- to make it impossible to ignore PokerBaazi, and even harder to misunderstand the message!

Types of Ads Used

1. Full-Station Branding
2. Wall Wraps and Pillar Covers
3. External Hoardings
4. Billboards
5. Wall Graffiti

PokerBaazi launched its first metro station outdoor advertising campaign in May 2023 at Sultanpur Metro Station, which is in proximity to the PokerBaazi headquarters as well. Within a few weeks, the daily app downloads increased and showed promising results. In September 2023, Vigyapan Mart & PokerBaazi took over Arjan Garh Metro Station & Ghitorni Metro Station which are next to the Sultanpur Metro Station. In January 2025, the duo did the same at Laxmi Nagar Metro Station.

Currently, they are operating in all four Metro Stations simultaneously, engaging with lakhs of travelers & commuters each day. This is a huge deal because the complete takeover leaves no room for ignoring the message. Repetitive advertising strengthens brand recall, familiarizing people with the brand's color, logo, and message.

Creative Direction: How Vigyapan Mart Made the Advertising Campaign Appealing to Modern Audience?

The advertising campaign ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’ became a hit and attracted a lot of attention everywhere. Now the question is- what did the creative agency do right? Vigyapan Mart's creative team made the advertising unique and attractive for young adults & working people. Instead of conventional cards or chips, they went with premium colors, textures, typography, and storytelling, creating an advertising campaign that is: 

• Aspirational
• Modern 
• Cool
• Bold, and
• Confident

The unique choices of colors, design, and texture for the advertising campaign created a fun, cool, and engaging vibe, immediately catching the commuter’s attention. The billboards also showed a less-used Tagline ‘Tu Poker Nahi Khelta Kya?’ alongside the regular digital & media advertising campaign.

How Did The Advertising Campaign Perform?

The advertising campaign used digital, media, and outdoor advertising methods to boost visibility in both online and offline worlds, ensuring the viewers of its omnipresence. The audience familiarized with the brand & its message, accepting the idea of Poker being a legitimate & skill-based sport for all.

As a result, PokerBaazi saw an approximate 18-22% increment in the daily app installation. Moreover, considering the industry patterns & app engagement trends, experts have estimated a 10-15% growth in the post-campaign phase. However, the actual profit is still being assessed.

Conclusion

Indian land has always assumed Poker as gambling and PokerBaazi wanted to change that. Therefore, they launched advertising campaigns to reposition the game in a new light, presenting it as a skill-based sport.

PokerBaazi launched the campaign ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’ that soon became a vibe among youngsters, presenting the brand as quirky, fun, and welcoming. The media and digital campaigns were complemented by outdoor advertising that covered the entire Metro Stations of Sultanpur, Arjan Garh, Ghitorni, and Laxmi Nagar. Instead of going with the conventional advertising installations, PokerBaazi in association with Vigyapan Mart transformed the metro stations completely, making it impossible for people to ignore Poker.

As a result of the constant Metro Advertising, commuters & travelers get familiarized with PokerBaazi as a brand & its message - ‘Tu Poker Khelta Hai Kya?’ and ‘Tu Poker Nahi Khelta Hai Kya?’ (Less used tagline). PokerBaazi saw up to 22% increment in daily app downloads.

Want to position your brand with a story that changes public perception? Connect with Vigyapan Mart today.

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