REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 5, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has launched a highly provocative broadcast advertising campaign for the Microsoft® Xbox™
video game system.
The extensive campaign, produced by McCann-Erickson Worldwide Inc., began airing Nov. 4, with a series of highly stylized teaser ads centered on the glowing green Xbox jewel. The teaser ads will be followed by ads showcasing the games available on Xbox when the system launches Nov. 15. The campaign will run throughout the holiday season and will give gamers an unadulterated window on the excitement and the realism of the Xbox gaming experience.
“Xbox was built by gamers, for gamers, so we understand that all of our advertising, promotions and events need to speak to gamers in a language they respect, and most important, in a voice that conveys the intense and exciting gameplay experience that only can be found on Xbox,”
said John O’Rourke, director of sales and marketing for Xbox at Microsoft.
The
“Green Jewel”
teaser campaign runs until the launch, and will feature 15- and 30-second ads dominated by the glowing green Xbox jewel. Beginning Nov. 11, the campaign will focus exclusively on first- and third-party Xbox launch titles, including
“Halo,” “Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee,” “Amped,” “Dead or Alive 3,” “Project Gotham Racing”
and
“NFL Fever 2002.”
The ads will appear on a variety of networks and TV series, including Fox, UPN, Comedy Central, WWF, ESPN and MTV. The broadcast campaign will be supported by print ads in lifestyle media such as Maxim, Rolling Stone and FHM, and gaming magazines such as Electronic Gaming Monthly, Next Generation, GamePro and Game Informer.
“We’ve created an advertising campaign designed to speak directly to the gamers,”
said Craig Markus, creative director for McCann-Erickson.
“The ‘Green Jewel’ teaser ads radiate the spirit and power of Xbox, while the game ads use actual gameplay footage to give gamers a taste of what they can expect on Xbox. Our research showed that gamers want to see what Xbox games looked like, and they won’t be disappointed with these ads.”
“The Xbox launch Nov. 15 marks a new era in digital entertainment where video games will come to life as never before,”
O’Rourke said.
“We knew the television advertising had to convey the electricity and intensity of Xbox games, and there was no way to do that other than featuring actual gameplay footage. We are proud of the ads and are confident that gamers are going to find them exhilarating, too.”
The broadcast advertising campaign is the cornerstone of a larger marketing effort to connect with gamers across the country. The campaign includes national promotions with Taco Bell, SoBe and Vans, and a mobile game experience, Xbox Odyssey, which began a tour of the country last week with a stop in San Francisco. It will visit more than 40 cities over the next 12 months.
About Xbox
Xbox is Microsoft’s future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox will be available in North America Nov. 15 at the estimated retail price of $299.99.* More information can be found at http://www.xbox.com/ .
About McCann-Erickson
McCann-Erickson New York is the flagship and single largest agency of both McCann-Erickson Worldwide, the world’s largest international advertising agency network, and McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, a $26 billion global marketing communications company. Founded in 1902 and with current billings of over $2.5 billion, McCann-Erickson New York handles some of world’s most successful and famous brands.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
* Actual reseller prices may vary.
Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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