Mother quits SkyBet after pitch for new game is called

BSkyB’s betting arm SkyBet has parted company with its agency Mother after it called a creative pitch for a new interactive poker service.

SkyBet is thought to be concentrating its marketing on the new poker game, and after the account for the launch was put up for pitch, Mother resigned the business, believed to be worth up to &£5m. It is not known how many agencies are involved in the pitch, or whether they only come from Sky’s roster of agencies.

Mother won the account from Yorkshire-based Phillipson Ward Longworth Camponi after a four-way pitch overseen by the AAR in 2004 (MW March 18, 2004).

Mother created campaigns for Sky Vegas using the strapline “You’re either Vegas or your not” and SkyBet, including idents featuring two football pundits, with the slogan “It matters more when there’s money on it”.

SkyBet runs telephone, internet and interactive gambling services. It is concentrating on developing new products on the interactive channel, which enables television viewers to place bets and gamble using their remote controls.

The company has already been developing fixed odds games and is set to launch an interactive poker game that enables players to play against each other through their TV sets.