PokerStars has announced the signing of Canadian comedic actor Gerry Dee as a celebrity endorser, continuing the site’s trend toward nation-centric marketing.
“Mr. D,” a popular CBC weekly sitcom, stars Dee as underqualified teacher Gerry Duncan muddling his way through his job, with some of the show’s comedy lifted from Dee’s own popular stand-up routines.
The signing confirms the close relationship between Dee and Stars, which included recent self-promotion by prominent Stars pro Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu, a Toronto native, just wrapped up a guest appearance on “Mr. D” which will air in January of 2013.
Poker sites using their signed pros as a form of product placement has a strong history in recent years, with PokerStars and the now defunct UB.com perhaps the two most frequent practitioners of the marketing form.
As part of the deal, PokerStars has also signed on as the sponsor of the Gerry Dee Comedy Tour. Dee will appear on Stars’ behalf at several upcoming venues, including this winter’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas, where he may both perform and participate.
Dee will also be featured in a commercial aired in Canada, touting PokerStars’ free-tournament offerings, plus the chance to win a trip to the Bahamas to play in the PCA.
