High Stakes & Hijinks
What do you get when you bring together comedian Hank Azaria, his celebrity friends, and the world’s largest online poker company, PokerStars? You get “Stars Call for Action”—a highly entertaining virtual celebrity poker tournament created to support Care International. The celebrities competed to raise funds for relief efforts amid the ongoing global pandemic. PokerStars contributed $1 million to the prize pool, and the top finishers allocated portions of their winnings to a charity of their choice.
The A-list poker players included celebrity hosts Hank Azaria and Andy Bellin, as well as Amy Schumer, Bryan Cranston, Michael Cera, Jon Hamm, Neymar Jr., Don Cheadle, Jeff Garlin, David Schwimmer, Edward Norton, Brian Koppelman, Eric Bogosian, Jason Alexander, Brad Garrett, Michael Ian Black, Kevin Pollak, Max Kruse, and Tony Yazbeck.
The players were live on Zoom, and the games were broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube.
designing with purpose
This project was undertaken during the COVID-19 lockdowns, presenting a significant challenge in coordinating efforts within a tight timeline. My team and I moved quickly to develop a branded asset package for use on PokerStars’ social channels, which included a logo, supporting graphics, and a mini style guide for partners.
We also designed a premium, bespoke award for the tournament that embodied the poker chip from the logo. David Costabile, the winner, made a fun Instagram video to commemorate his victory and show off his award. Each participant also received a custom box containing PokerStars swag items and a limited edition poster illustrated by our team.
“A friendly game of poker reminds us how life used to be, which hopefully we get back to soon.”