Gamestation appoints commercial director

Blockbuster-owned Gamestation has appointed buying director Martyn Gibbs as commercial director. He will have responsibility for the marketing team.

Gibbs will also be in charge of the electronic games retailer’s product team. The group has created the commercial directorship in order to place product and marketing departments under a single banner.

Gibbs has been briefed to create a marketing strategy for the chain – which has 147 outlets in the UK after a period of rapid growth in the past three years.The company has relied mostly on public relations, but it is now looking into more above- and below- the-line campaigns.

Walker Media handles Gamestation’s media buying and Doner Cardwell Hawkins creates its advertising; both are Blockbuster roster agencies.

Gibbs, who was head of games at HMV before joining the Blockbuster group in July last year, will continue as Blockbuster games buying director.

Gamestation was founded in 1993 as a single shop in York, with its own online game mail-order service. It was bought by Blockbuster in October 2002.