New PS3 Brand Campaign

[Sventax]

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 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 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, 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" 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?

[streetracer67856]

If you develop them, they will come...

[Zoibie]

that's great news. Sony should have been doing this from the start, it is all about the games!

[TH3 GAM3]

Once Sony concentrate on showing their good games, it's all good.

[andywhitto]

really should be good to see these ads on tv and elsewhere, i think last year sony underestimated just how much effect advertising will have on sales.

[Natalz]

i think last year sony underestimated just how much effect advertising will have on sales.

Don't be mistaken that Sony is clueless with stuff like this. They were simply waiting to use their marketing money for certain price points, period after early adopters etc.

[admartian]

Uh-oh, looks like Sony learned how to putt... (for the Happy Gilmore fans out there).

This is what many (including myself) have been saying what Sony should do/have done. Good for them, and their developers. Should be interesting to see how the holiday titles and hardware fare out from November to February. Not a numbers man myself in terms of gaming, but this should interesting.

[BrandonCGS]

Yay Hopefully this years ads are better than last year.

[Mecha_Daddy]

It's good that they will finally get their marketing in gear.

[Clover09]

$399 console? Check.
Marketing the PS3? Check.
Having a good game library exclusivly for PS3 this year? Uncharted, Resistance, Motorstorm, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, Folklore, Haze, Ratchet&Clank, Eye of Judgement Check.

I think Sony finally has the right recipe to make some good sales.

[Pgsley]

Finally sony is trying to advertise their beutiful machine.
I hope they have lots of sales

[SoloSL203]

The problem with sony last year, even though they prolly wont admit it. They left the marketing to the ppl and the 10 o'clock news. The whole waiting in lines for days and ebay fiasco seemed like free advertising to them. They either ignored or underestimated TV advertising. Although it was a watercooler discussion, the crying baby ultimately just wierded ppl out, not sell systems.

Those same onyx world banner ads need to get on TV ASAP(well in a real TV aspect ratio tho). And theres nothing wrong with bringing back the white room play beyond promos. I'm talking bout the real ones. You know the educational ones. Of course not the whole 4mins and the old games.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/v/EwCDhMJ6-r4&rel=1[/embed]

[pntbllrspdr]

Alright, when people see footage of Uncharted, Warhawk, and Heavenly Sword, it'll get them thinking

[Redrider]

The problem with sony last year, even though they prolly wont admit it. They left the marketing to the ppl and the 10 o'clock news. The whole waiting in lines for days and ebay fiasco seemed like free advertising to them. They either ignored or underestimated TV advertising. Although it was a watercooler discussion, the crying baby ultimately just wierded ppl out, not sell systems.

Those same onyx world banner ads need to get on TV ASAP(well in a real TV aspect ratio tho). And theres nothing wrong with bringing back the white room play beyond promos. I'm talking bout the real ones. You know the educational ones. Of course not the whole 4mins and the old games.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/v/EwCDhMJ6-r4&rel=1[/embed]

Could not agree more the Play Beyond white room shorts are outstanding but Sony did not use them all.......... If I was in charge of thier ad campaign I would have emailed every registered PS2 owner with a white room hyper link to all the shorts. Let's face facts the crying baby commercial weirded way too many people out. The "This is living" campaign fell off the deep end some time ago. Hopefully a more mainstream ad campaign is in store for us this year!

[DaSaint]

Yeah....sony cant hold back..they need to hit this campaign and hit it hard....there are great games out and more coming they need to let it be known...the name of the brand can only get you so far.

Also blu-ray is awesome, so they need to show america. I hope this campaign is a success.

[christianpachon]

I think this is what Sony needs. Show the power of the ps3, but with good examples, no so technical like was with the White Room.

[Syugo]

The problem with sony last year, even though they prolly wont admit it. They left the marketing to the ppl and the 10 o'clock news. The whole waiting in lines for days and ebay fiasco seemed like free advertising to them. They either ignored or underestimated TV advertising. Although it was a watercooler discussion, the crying baby ultimately just wierded ppl out, not sell systems.

Those same onyx world banner ads need to get on TV ASAP(well in a real TV aspect ratio tho). And theres nothing wrong with bringing back the white room play beyond promos. I'm talking bout the real ones. You know the educational ones. Of course not the whole 4mins and the old games.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/v/EwCDhMJ6-r4&rel=1[/embed]

Was it just me or did anyone see a drop ship in the game play of warhawk? When did the commercial come out ( excuse me if it isn't warhawk thats what it looks like though )

[circus_freaks]

The problem with sony last year, even though they prolly wont admit it. They left the marketing to the ppl and the 10 o'clock news. The whole waiting in lines for days and ebay fiasco seemed like free advertising to them. They either ignored or underestimated TV advertising. Although it was a watercooler discussion, the crying baby ultimately just wierded ppl out, not sell systems.

Those same onyx world banner ads need to get on TV ASAP(well in a real TV aspect ratio tho). And theres nothing wrong with bringing back the white room play beyond promos. I'm talking bout the real ones. You know the educational ones. Of course not the whole 4mins and the old games.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/v/EwCDhMJ6-r4&rel=1[/embed]

I had forgotten how great these ad's were. I just wish they had actually put cut down versions on TV (because I only saw them online) but I agree that they seemed to leave the marketing up to the hype machine and that bit them in the a$$ when the Wii and the 360 drove the Sony hype machine off the road.

[PhillyPhreak]

Was it just me or did anyone see a drop ship in the game play of warhawk? When did the commercial come out ( excuse me if it isn't warhawk thats what it looks like though )

That wasn't a Warhawk commercial. That was old footage of the game before Incognito scrapped the single player aspect in favor of a multi-player only game.

[dannib0i82]

I've never seen that commercial before lol.

[fiero911]

finally, nice to see them acting. SOny needs to show that this is the best tdeal this winter(summer in AU). They really needed to show off some games and I'm glad they're gonna do it