There"s little over four weeks until Christmas and if any of the three platform holders has realised there"s money to be made, it"s Sony. Guardian Unlimited has revealed details of the Japanese outfit"s holiday campaign, which kicks off with a PlayStation 3 television ad that promotes the console as an entertainment center that plays and stores music, films and photos. No surprise there then.
Sony is also reported to be spending almost $2 million to promote three key titles, including sure-fire girlfriend and granny hit Singstar, which is in the shops on December 7. The theatrical ad, called "The Entertainers" will feature a magician, his assistant and a plucky acrobat all trying to promote the different features of the PS3. "The new campaign is designed to showcase the wealth of entertainment available on PlayStation 3," explains SCE UK marketing man Alan Duncan.
Of course, it"s not the first time platform holders have taken the multimedia angle when marketing their consoles, but UK analysts believe it"s an essential move to differentiating the PS3 from the competition. "To compete in such a competitive market it is important for Sony to get a multi-media message out there to differentiate the product from rivals," said games analyst Piers Harding-Rolls.