Gameswire.com in agency trawl for £5m ad account

The computer game website Gameswire.com is searching for the first creative and media agencies for a £5m ad spend.

The company, which launched last June as a computer games information site and began retailing games over the Internet in November, is securing extra financing, some of which will be spent on ads.

Gameswire.com head of marketing Adrian Ma says the company is also considering appointing PR agencies.

Ma has spoken to agencies including TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, Leo Burnett, Universal McCann and Third Planet.

He is keen to keep some creative work in house, by using head of design Ben White. To date, Ma and White have created all of the company’s ads, which have run in the specialist computer games press.

Ma, who plans to broaden the brand’s reach, says: “We hope to make the brand more mainstream, first by targeting people through the consumer press, then possibly through TV ads. I am also considering radio.”

As part of its brand-building exercise, Gameswire. com has linked with the Department of Trade & Industry and software publisher Codemasters to launch the Games Development Awards. The aim is to differentiate it from other computer games sites and reach a young target market. University students are invited to enter computer games they have created in a national competition, prior to an awards ceremony in October.