Unibet makes initial moves for US growth

Unibet, one of the premier online gambling brands owned by Kindred Group, has chosen IPG’s FCB New York as its creative agency for US operations.

FCB will manage creative, strategy and social for Unibet’s new US division, while IPG’s Initiative has been brought on to lead media efforts.

The account will serve as Unibet’s “key launch partner as it makes its first foray” in the U.S., and will be operating from the agency’s New York office. They offer betting, casino and games, poker and bingo in 20 languages across more than 100 countries in the U.K. and Australia, and aims to be “the expert in understanding what players need to make informed bets.”

Kindred is a holding company based in Malta and they said, to start, it is aiming to enter New Jersey’s recently legalised sports betting market, “with plans to extend to additional states down the line.”

“We’ve put players at the heart of everything we’ve done since 1997 and share their passion for sports and casino,” Manuel Stan, svp at Kindred USA, said in a statement. “Out of the gate, it was clear that the FCB NY team had this passion too, pitching a concept that will bring Unibet to life in New Jersey and beyond.”

The agency network was first introduced to Unibet in March, when FCB Inferno, its London office, collaborated with the brand on a campaign. Unibet promoted that campaign across its channels.

“We love when clients show up with unwavering passion for their opportunity, ask for big, behavior-creating ideas, and say exactly what is on their mind. It creates an electric environment for the pitch,” said Laura Dunn, svp and director of business development at FCB NY.

Dunn added, the brand gave “a killer brief that allowed us to unleash the power of our complete IPG offering—media and creative working in unison under the same roof, sharing strategic and data resources, without redundancies.”