Sventax
10-23-2007, 21:50
Enter PS3's Onyx World
Next week, Sony Computer Entertainment America will be bringing its new PS3 brand campaign to TV. Unlike the initial "White Room" ads, these will focus on key titles and PS3 features. We chat with Kim Ngyuen, SCEA Marketing Manager, about the new focus.
It's no secret how important this holiday period is for all of the console competitors, with Sony perhaps in the stickiest spot of the three. After all, they have to try and gain some ground for their next-gen console when the Xbox 360 has a new Halo and the Wii appears nigh unstoppable. With precious market share and mindshare in mind, the advertising campaign for the PS3 is key during Fall 2007.
Last year, the PS3's ad campaign (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/adwatch/?id=14439) was highlighted by the "White Room" showing extraordinary things happening to every day objects when placed in proximity of the PS3. This year, lush onyx animations (http://apps.eyewonderlabs.com/adWdrVideoSpace/ad/28148/approvalJSTags.html) will spring from the PS3 itself, highlighting games, Blu-ray movies and other features of the system. We asked Kim Ngyuen, SCEA Marketing Manager for PS3 and PS2 if this is sort of an expansion on the "White Room" campaign of last year. "It's not really an expansion. When we launched the 'White Room' it was talking to the hardcore audience with a specific message about the Sixaxis and Cell processor. This year will present [the PS3] from more of a general entertainment perspective," she responded.
"The 'White Room' campaign was more focused on using metaphors, like the Rubik's Cube for the Cell Processor," she continued. "This year we wanted to show that the PS3 is the center of various extraordinary entertainment options. In general, 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."
"We briefed the [ad] agency in April that we wanted to emphasize the entertainment qualities and show off the primary titles [for the PS3] this Holiday season," described Ngyuen when asked about how the campaigned was initially envisioned. "We wanted to show that, firstly, the games are here this holiday; come and get them! Secondly, we wanted to demonstrate that [the PS3] is an entertainment powerhouse. So the iconography [we used] was a way to demonstrate those points. For instance, we wanted to use the sword from Heavenly Sword, have it morph into the view. It's a way of saying that the way you get to the world is through the PS3."
As far as the specific games to be highlighted in the campaign, they will include "platform defining titles" such as new releases Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in addition to hit titles like Heavenly Sword and Warhawk.
In addition to games, Sony will certainly continue to place an emphasis on its Blu-ray format ("Definitely much more so than last year," said Ngyuen) and other additional features of the PS3. "Blu-ray is an important part of the PS3, and it's a big selling point that we have a high definition movie player [built into our console]," she said. "So we're definitely calling that out and PlayStation Network. We'll be starting with the campaign online and then start transitioning it onto TV in the first week of November."
Finally, we asked Ngyuen about how much the campaign will mention the new $399 PS3 (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17821), which the company hopes will help the PS3 reach a whole new demographic, and which Senior Vice President of Marketing Peter Dille says will lead to "tremendous acceleration" (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17834) in the PS3 business. After pausing, she gave the non-committal response that, "We'll definitely cover it to some degree."
This a great finally games in a commercial?
Next week, Sony Computer Entertainment America will be bringing its new PS3 brand campaign to TV. Unlike the initial "White Room" ads, these will focus on key titles and PS3 features. We chat with Kim Ngyuen, SCEA Marketing Manager, about the new focus.
It's no secret how important this holiday period is for all of the console competitors, with Sony perhaps in the stickiest spot of the three. After all, they have to try and gain some ground for their next-gen console when the Xbox 360 has a new Halo and the Wii appears nigh unstoppable. With precious market share and mindshare in mind, the advertising campaign for the PS3 is key during Fall 2007.
Last year, the PS3's ad campaign (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/adwatch/?id=14439) was highlighted by the "White Room" showing extraordinary things happening to every day objects when placed in proximity of the PS3. This year, lush onyx animations (http://apps.eyewonderlabs.com/adWdrVideoSpace/ad/28148/approvalJSTags.html) will spring from the PS3 itself, highlighting games, Blu-ray movies and other features of the system. We asked Kim Ngyuen, SCEA Marketing Manager for PS3 and PS2 if this is sort of an expansion on the "White Room" campaign of last year. "It's not really an expansion. When we launched the 'White Room' it was talking to the hardcore audience with a specific message about the Sixaxis and Cell processor. This year will present [the PS3] from more of a general entertainment perspective," she responded.
"The 'White Room' campaign was more focused on using metaphors, like the Rubik's Cube for the Cell Processor," she continued. "This year we wanted to show that the PS3 is the center of various extraordinary entertainment options. In general, 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."
"We briefed the [ad] agency in April that we wanted to emphasize the entertainment qualities and show off the primary titles [for the PS3] this Holiday season," described Ngyuen when asked about how the campaigned was initially envisioned. "We wanted to show that, firstly, the games are here this holiday; come and get them! Secondly, we wanted to demonstrate that [the PS3] is an entertainment powerhouse. So the iconography [we used] was a way to demonstrate those points. For instance, we wanted to use the sword from Heavenly Sword, have it morph into the view. It's a way of saying that the way you get to the world is through the PS3."
As far as the specific games to be highlighted in the campaign, they will include "platform defining titles" such as new releases Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in addition to hit titles like Heavenly Sword and Warhawk.
In addition to games, Sony will certainly continue to place an emphasis on its Blu-ray format ("Definitely much more so than last year," said Ngyuen) and other additional features of the PS3. "Blu-ray is an important part of the PS3, and it's a big selling point that we have a high definition movie player [built into our console]," she said. "So we're definitely calling that out and PlayStation Network. We'll be starting with the campaign online and then start transitioning it onto TV in the first week of November."
Finally, we asked Ngyuen about how much the campaign will mention the new $399 PS3 (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17821), which the company hopes will help the PS3 reach a whole new demographic, and which Senior Vice President of Marketing Peter Dille says will lead to "tremendous acceleration" (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17834) in the PS3 business. After pausing, she gave the non-committal response that, "We'll definitely cover it to some degree."
This a great finally games in a commercial?