SCEA discusses new ad campaign for holiday season

by Nick Doerr { Oct 24th 2007 at 4:30PM }

Key titles and features of the PS3 are the new approach for a revamped PS3 marketing campaign in the US. Gone are the white room ads featuring awkward and vague commentary about life, games, and a floating console. Sony hopes these ads will boost holiday sales by creating better awareness of what the machine can actually do and we hope so as well. As SCEA Marketing Manager Kim Nguyen put it: " ... the way I would describe the 'White Room' is 'thought provoking' compared to this new campaign, which is 'visually provoking;' you have to watch it several times to catch everything being shown. There's just so much the PS3 offers, and we're trying to emphasize that."

The games to be mentioned are what Nguyen calls "system defining": stuff like Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, Warhawk, and Heavenly Sword. Interesting how Lair didn't make it on the list, huh? Anyway. There is also going to be a huge push for Blu-ray, moreso than last year, as well as a lot of deliberation about the PlayStation Network. There will also be some coverage of the new $399 PS3, but it doesn't seem to be a focal point for the campaign. What do you guys think? Step in the right direction?

Tags: scea, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Justin @ Oct 24th 2007 4:36PM

DEFINITELY a step in the right direction...

Good job Sony, don't let MS dominate the holiday season with their ads.

I think Sony stands a fighting chance this holiday if their advertising proves to be effective. Of course us PS3 fans know what the PS3 is capable of, but the general public doesn't. Keepin' my fingers crossed.

On another note, I never found out how to pronounce that last name. Nguyen. I've heard 'nuh-whin', but I've also heard that that was incorrect.

Justin @ Oct 24th 2007 4:38PM

oh and btw, I checked this weeks sale papers...and EVERY SINGLE ADVERTISEMENT for EVERY SINGLE RETAIL STORE had the 80GB PS3 at $599.99.

No sign of a price drop anywhere.

I'm starting to believe that only the internet heads are the only ones who know about these things.

Eric E. @ Oct 24th 2007 4:43PM

Most people that see i have a ps3 either dont know what it is, thinks its just for games, or maybe know what BluRay is and that it plays em.
But usually people are in awe when i use it to show them pictures of my cameras memory card, or play movies and music wirelessly off my computer(wireless internet media server), or pop open the web browser quick to look up something. And that i can control it all w/ bluetooth through walls.
And then People go crazy when i show them trailers for games like eye of judgement, little big planet and Home.

aaron_k7 @ Oct 24th 2007 4:48PM

Step in the right direction? YES. Let's face it, whatever they decide to do, things can't get worse than they already are!

rawd @ Oct 24th 2007 4:52PM

Gabe Newell says I eated a whole turkey

HAAS599 @ Oct 24th 2007 4:59PM

@3
I get the same reactions.

I'm scared that when home comes out I'm literally going to blow peoples minds.

Its a shame here in the USA, average joe can tell you anyhting about NASCAR and the monopoly game at Mcdonalds but when it comes to F1 or PS3 they have no idea.

real shame...

eclipse27 @ Oct 24th 2007 5:07PM

@6

Agreed

Nate @ Oct 24th 2007 5:10PM

Thank GOD. It's about time. Sony has a really good marketing machine, and they need to get it in gear and behind the PS3. No more abstract "huh, neat" commercials. Wow them with the function, not the form.

I'd love to see a campaign along the size of Halo 3 for PS3 in general over the holidays - posters in windows, PS3 coke cans.... you name it, I want to see PS3 stamped on it.

I hope it works out.

Andy @ Oct 24th 2007 5:29PM

The effort Sony is putting into marketing Lair really shows me that Factor 5 and Sony are going splitsville. They are one of there newest 2nd party devolopers but they give them the same support as a 3rd party (which isn't much)

I agree that anything is better than those white room ads.

Livi70590 @ Oct 24th 2007 5:32PM

Do all the US ads for Halo say 'BELIEVE'? because i don't. Halo 3 is like communism and christianity. I don't believe in it. It exists fine but i cannot bring myself down to it's level.

ComicShaman @ Oct 24th 2007 5:33PM

This is good news. The biggest thing is they finally have games to hold aloft with pride and say, "Look! You want this!"

Although it is mystifying that Lair is not one of the featured games. They could do it like the Halo 3 commercials! Have old actors pretending to be veterans reminiscing about the great war. You could turn out the lights on them, and they could say things like: "All we could do is wait for Rohn to come and save us."

Then it goes on a few more seconds. "And wait..."

A few more seconds of darkness. "And wait some more..."

Then we cut to Rohn beating on the head of his recalcitrant dragon with a Sixaxis controller, screaming in his best Yosemite Sam voice: "Whoa, dragon! Whoaaah! Aw, come on, dragon, whoah!? When I say 'whoah,' I mean..."

And cut back to the old man in the darkness again. "We ended up waiting a long time, actually."

... okay, maybe that wouldn't work. Looking forward to seeing what they do come up with.

tristan88 @ Oct 24th 2007 5:59PM

@2
i live in canada and everywhere ive looked the ps3 has gotten a price cut. 160 dollars by the way (this is because of the candian dollar being worth the same as the american now, it used to be $650) im sure the us will get it soon.

comtar @ Oct 24th 2007 6:03PM

I will have to agree with Comment 7.

The average consumer can name almost all the features of the iPhone because the commercials completely outline the features it can do besides music and making phone calls... The average consumer knows the PS3 can play games, but I don't think they can even think of any mainstream titles and some people don't realize it can play blu-ray movies.

The PS3 marketing campaign should be very similar to the Iphone type commercials, show off the features and abilities of the device and show people that it's worth the "not so insane as it use to be" pricetag, and people will start buying them.

Random1448 @ Oct 24th 2007 6:17PM

Definitely good news. The people SONY hires for advertisements usually seem more concerned about winning awards for they're adds, than actually making them effective.

Benn @ Oct 24th 2007 7:02PM

A definate step in the right direction, took their time but I think Sony has gone back to its roots and found something good that'd worth drawing on... And this is especially impressive as their old head of PR has just left, so this is a very good sign. I look forward to seeing more people in the know and buying a PS3 this fall. I just hope they don't over complicate them... Or make them too philosophical to comprehend, like last time.

Sony is learning and adapting so its all good.

Consolcwby @ Oct 24th 2007 9:34PM

I hate to say it, but Sony also needs to show that the PS3 is one helluva fun machine. The W**'s commercials did this in spades, and it really seemed to work. Now, let's see some people having fun playing the PS3 ala EoJ! =)

PS: I know I have great fun with my PS3... pr0n and all! XD

Dru @ Oct 24th 2007 11:10PM

@1 It's pronounced like "win"

Don @ Oct 25th 2007 5:44AM

I think Sony should hire that dude who does the UPS commercials with the brown sharpie and white boards. That guy's awesome. Actually, I agree with comtar, they should go to something similar to the Iphone commercials, that's the best way to show people exactly what they get for their money.

I also think that The Eye of Judgment should be in that list of games they demonstrate, not that I'm really big into card battling, but it does a good job of showing the PS3's innovation as far as gaming.

Lavane @ Oct 25th 2007 6:25AM

Sony, Konami, Whoever. Here's a great idea for a commercial me and some of my friends from work came up with yesterday:

Start with Master Chief (Halo3) running around blasting looking just as awesome as the Xbox community think he is. Then suddenly, seeming as out of nowhere, Solid Snake sneaks up from behind and breaks his neck! Master Chief falls to the ground and in the same instance, big white letters spell out on the screen saying; "Finish the fight!"

Lol, probably never gonna happen cause of law suits, but that would be the best commercial ever!