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Animal Crossing + NERDS Candy = NERDS World

NERDS® ANNOUNCES NERDS WORLD; AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE WITHIN NINTENDO’S ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS
In Partnership with Non-Profit Cybersmile, NERDS World Will Support Brand’s Ongoing Commitment to Make the Internet a Friendlier Place
Iconic candy brand NERDS® announced the launch of NERDS World, an interactive branded experience debuting within Nintendo’s highly-popular life simulation game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Available in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, NERDS World offers players a positive outlet, allowing them to engage in a unique, user-generated experience including fun and inspirational activities.
NERDS World is in support of the brand’s ongoing “Stay NERD” campaign, which encourages consumers to “embrace their nerdiness” by believing in themselves and supporting others. As part of this mission, NERDS partnered with The Cybersmile Foundation in early 2020, with a shared goal of making the internet a safer space for young users by tackling issues related to cyber-bullying and online abuse.
“At NERDS, we stand for inclusivity, belonging and positivity, because as a brand we celebrate how we are all better together,” said Kelly Peyser, Senior Brand Manager for NERDS. “We saw Animal Crossing: New Horizons as an ideal place to bring these values to life, as the game creates a positive, fun experience where players don’t compete against one another but instead work together to create thriving communities online.”
Inside the NERDS World
A vibrant island destination, NERDS World is perfectly imperfect-shaped just like NERDScandy, and covered with decorations in the brand’s signature colors – purple and pink – along with stickers and fun Easter Eggs surprises. While in NERDS World, players can explore and engage in fun activities and win prizes:
- Fans can explore within the island by themselves or with others.
- Players can receive a guided visit to NERDS World – which is led by a NERDS avatar – by using a Dodo Code that NERDS will share via Instagram and Facebook. Dodo Codes will be accessible at @NERDSCandiesAUS (Australia), @NERDSCandies_UK (UK), and @NERDSCandies_Canada (Canada), or fans can simply visit NERDS World via a Dream Address.
- Throughout the game, fans have the chance to receive special merchandise as well as take pictures with the different photo spots all through the island.
- Fans can stay tuned for more surprises throughout the month with special activities and challenges released in the NERDS World platform throughout the month-long activation.
Driving Good in the World Through NERDS World
NERDS World will serve as a resource for players who want to learn more about or seek help related to online abuse or cyber-bullying. The island will be equipped with an innovative AI Assistant tool and QR codes, which will provide access to different Cybersmile resources, and will be populated with positive messages and tips throughout.
The activation is launching at a record-breaking time for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which became Nintendo Switch’s fastest selling title ever after launching in March 2020, selling 13.4M units in its first six weeks. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Nintendo’s second-best selling game of the year, selling 22.4 million copies since its release. The wide popularity of the game globally can be attributed in part to social circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, where isolation has resulted in many consumers seeking indoor activities which allow them to stay engaged and connected to others.
“Especially during a time where the world looks different these days, NERDS World will provide players of all ages with the opportunity to connect virtually with friends and family, as well as build an even broader community online,”stated Scott Freeman, Cybersmile Director. “We are incredibly excited to be working with NERDS to introduce this creative destination, which will serve as a support system for young internet users across the world.”
Starting today, NERDS World will be available through December 17, 2020. Animal Crossing: New Horizon can be enjoyed on a Nintendo Switch console and is rated E for everyone. For more information, please visit www.staynerd.live.
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CRM for online casinos
Getting to Know Incline Gaming Marketing with Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis

Incline Gaming Marketing is redefining how gambling brands scale and succeed worldwide. Founded by industry veteran Peter Laverick, the agency delivers end-to-end digital marketing services across user acquisition, CRM, and creative. In this interview, CCO Jo Dennis explains how Incline acts as an extension of operators’ in-house teams, helping them acquire players, boost retention, and compete globally.
Incline Gaming Marketing. Tells us what we need to know about the business.
Incline Gaming Marketing (Incline) is a full-service digital marketing partner dedicated exclusively to the regulated gambling industry. We’re not just a supplier of campaigns or assets, we run marketing operations end-to-end for our partners, functioning as an extension of their in-house team.
Our expertise spans user acquisition, CRM, and creative, delivered by specialists who’ve worked inside top operators and suppliers. With offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and London, we provide market-specific strategies and execution for brands in North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and beyond.
Founded by industry veteran Peter Laverick in 2020, Incline is part of The Conexus Group alongside Pentasia (recruitment) and Partis (strategy and M&A). Our partners range from household-name operators to ambitious new entrants, all looking for a team that can step in, own the process, and deliver measurable results from day one.
Who are the main players running the business day to day?
Peter Laverick, our CEO and founder, has led marketing at some of the industry’s biggest names, including BetVictor, Aristocrat, and PlayStudios. Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis joined through our acquisition of Random Colour Animal in 2024 (RCA was originally founded in 2018) and brings more than 25 years in brand and marketing strategy.
Chief Marketing Officer Oren Langburt has over 15 years’ experience in real-money gaming, including leading marketing at FanDuel. VP Partner Success Haig Sakouyan is a 20+ year industry veteran, ensuring our partnerships deliver beyond marketing.
Talk us through Incline Gaming Marketing’s core service offering.
We operate in three connected disciplines that together form a complete managed marketing service:
- User Acquisition (UA): We plan, execute, and optimise campaigns across Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, Apple, and programmatic networks, managing multi-million-dollar budgets. As an approved Facebook Business Partner, we’ve been rated the most effective media buyer in North America’s online gaming sector, achieving a 99.9% efficiency score.
- Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM): Our CRM specialists handle the full player lifecycle — from onboarding and first-time deposit conversion to long-term retention and reactivation. We combine data-led segmentation with targeted offers and creative to grow lifetime value while controlling bonus spend.
- Creative: We produce more than 1,000 assets per month, from brand identities and websites to broadcast-quality TV spots, slot game creatives, supplier content packs, and conference materials. All creative is performance-driven and integrated into UA and CRM campaigns for maximum impact.
When combined, these services allow us to act as a partner’s complete marketing department – – strategy, execution, and optimisation under one roof.
Which markets are you focused on? Are you pushing into any new regions?
We built our reputation in North America, where we work with leading land-based and online operators across casino, sportsbook, lottery, social gaming, and daily fantasy sports. We now deliver integrated managed services in Canada, the UK, continental Europe, Africa, and Australia, tailoring each approach to local regulations, player behaviours, and market dynamics.
For many partners, this means we handle all marketing in new markets from day one – avoiding the time and cost of building a local team – and then continue as their long-term, embedded marketing function.
Why are your services particularly valuable to operators in the current industry climate?
Player acquisition costs are rising, retention is harder than ever, and regulatory pressure is mounting. Building and managing an in-house team with the full range of skills required – from media buying to lifecycle marketing to creative production – is expensive and slow.
Incline solves that. We provide an instant, proven marketing department with deep gambling expertise, multi-channel capabilities, and global reach. Our managed services model means we don’t just advise, we execute, optimise, and deliver results. Whether launching in a new jurisdiction or scaling in a mature one, we know the levers to pull for sustainable growth.
What can we expect from Incline in the second half of the year?
We’re deepening our presence in Europe, Africa, and Canada while cementing our leadership in North America. Several major launches and brand refresh projects are underway, alongside scaled acquisition and retention campaigns for our long-term partners.
Our focus remains the same — provide operators and suppliers with a high-performing, fully managed marketing function that delivers measurable results faster, and with more certainty, than building it in-house.
The post Getting to Know Incline Gaming Marketing with Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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