Ubisoft promotes UK chief to top EMEA role

Ubisoft has promoted UK marketing director John Parkes to marketing chief for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), based at the video game publisher’s headquarters in Paris.

The company, responsible for titles such as Beyond Good & Evil and boxing game Rocky Legends, has begun the hunt for a replacement, although Parkes does not leave until January.

Parkes, who currently reports to UK managing director Rob Cooper, joined Ubisoft in October 2002 from SC Johnson. He will take over from outgoing EMEA marketing director Florence Alibert, who is leaving the company after more than eight years to pursue a career with the Paris Orchestra.

Ubisoft dropped TBWA/London from its &£5m pan-European advertising roster earlier this month, deciding to work solely with McCann Erickson.

It is about to launch a &£2m Christmas marketing campaign that will include television ads for a number of its key titles. Radio, print and bus ads will support the TV work, as well as sampling initiatives in high-street stores.

Ubisoft has also signed a deal with The Sunday Times’ The Month to offer readers demo discs of sample games. In a separate deal, it has also teamed up with satellite channel Discovery Wings to sponsor the show Combat Nights through its PC title Pacific Fighters.