WPT: Worst Marketing Campaign in History?

[Killer Mike]

Alright, I've been putting up with these WPT commercials for long enough. You know the ones I'm talking about: Where they put these stupid voice-overs in with "clever" commentary of what's going on the players heads as a hand plays out?

The two most recent installments finally put me over the edge. First there's the one where this flamer touches his hair and everyone else at the table says "It must be a tell," while the guy is really just thinking, "I need a haircut." Then, there's the other where two guys are saying "I love you man," before the flop and then after one guy catches his card, they both tell each other they "suck." WTF? It's beyond sophomoric...this [censored] just isn't funny at all! What the hell was Lipscomb thinking when he approved these things?

It's sad, really, because the WPT brand is so strong, that I hate to see them use crap like this. Then again, maybe that's why they can get away with it. The "It pays to watch" series of commercials was the route they should stick with...those are at least amusing with the bad bluffers losing their shirts. This other stuff is just annoying. Anyone else have any thoughts? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Zaxenexaz]

I agree, they are some pretty awful commercials....

[MCS]

I agree completely. The voice-over commercials are a disgrace. Unfunny and juvenile, although maybe they're trying to hook 15-year olds like tobacco companies do. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like that comparison.

[reubenf]

I usually like them.

[Fat Nicky]

[ QUOTE ]
I usually like them.

[/ QUOTE ]

agreed, they are definitly corny, but funny at the same time.

[tpir90036]

Agreed 100%. It's really quite remarkable how the WPT takes something inherently cool like multi-million dollar poker tournaments in cool places and cheeses them out with awful: commercials, segments, commentators and commentary. Heck, even just dropping the "...pots be monsters" part would make the show 2 to 3 times better. That part actually makes me embarassed that I watched.

The bluffers losing their shirts were way better and a much better example of the more low-key stuff they should be going for.

Whoever does the opening/bump from commerical voice-overs really bothers me too... you can tell his voice is nothing remotely close to the "dramatic" tone he tries to pull off.

[toots]

These advertisements surprise anyone, given the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" lightshow they do at the final table?

Yeah, they're definitely shooting for the mid-adolescent demo here.

[otnemem]

[ QUOTE ]
Heck, even just dropping the "...pots be monsters" part would make the show 2 to 3 times better. That part actually makes me embarassed that I watched.

[/ QUOTE ]

This made me laugh out loud. This is so accurate, it's scary. That line alone (May your cards be live and your pots be monsters? I think?) is so incredibly contrived and horrible and really does make me feel like a giant douche for enjoying the show. To tell you the truth, the production values for the entire show are pretty cheap and cheesy. But that takes the cake.

[willie]

it is seriously pretty horrible

i think that just producing the images of strain and agony are enough, with some decent mood music it'd be so much better.

[toots]

The knee slapper for me is at the end, right as they deliver the stupid "May your..." line, when they have to toast the winner with the product-placement fermented pisswater of the week, as if it were some kind of prize or praise.

Well, if someone gave me a mill or two, I guess I'd try to choke down a mouthfull, but that's the minimum it'd take.

I notice that they substitute that frog-water for the Paris show. I assume that the French would puke them right out of town if they tried swilling that clydesdale extract inside of the Parisian city limits.