When Sony dropped the price of the PlayStation 3 and released the Slim model in September, it also dropped the old Spiderman-style logo in exchange for a sleeker, more compact logo. The box art was also revamped and a new ad campaign launched, showing off that the PS3 ‘only does everything.’
These changes were all part of a strategic effort to rebrand the PS3 as more than just a high tech gaming console only affordable for the elite gamers. The new smaller PS3 logo fits perfectly with the more compact size of the Slim, and the revamped box art is intended to clearly show off the PS3 brand.
In a recent interview with PSU, John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, explained that both these logo changes were created to provide a better and easier understanding of Sony’s products for new consumers.
“The new logo is a stronger read and the package is now a cleaner read,” he explained. “All of those things add up.”
Going into 2009, Sony was preparing for the impending PS3 price drop. But, knowing the global economy was in a tough position, Sony wanted to make sure the rebranding and marketing of the PS3 was strong.
“Knowing where the economy was, we knew we needed to hit a homerun with the marketing campaign; in terms of what the consumer base was asking for and what consumers were looking to learn about the PS3 brand.”
The latest marketing efforts, as evident through the numerous TV commercials, rest on showing off the features of the PS3. “The PS3 and PSP are the most technologically advanced products on the market, how could we (Sony) really educate the consumer about the importance of each of these features. We didn’t want consumers to leave the store without a full understanding of what the products can do.”
The goal was largely to educate moms; the gatekeepers of a household, Koller explained. “In the past they thought of it as a big scary box,” he said about moms’ perception of the PS3. “We needed to do a better job of toning down the image, and we needed to show off all those things that the PS3 offers.”
So, while the rebranding of the PS3 is aesthetically pleasing, it’s interesting to hear that it was largely changed to attract moms and parents and help inform them about the technology behind the PS3. After all, it’s not just a scary black box.