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Xbox, the new video game system from Microsoft, has launched a

viral ad and announced details of its European marketing strategy to

take on Sony's PlayStation.

The £50 million pan-European above-the-line advertising through

Bartle Bogle Hegarty will be supported by below-the-line activity

including the largest-ever European roll-out of in-store demonstration

units.

An e-mail viral ad, created by BBH, shows a woman in childbirth in a

hospital. When the baby is born, it shoots across the room and out of

the window.

The next shots are of the baby flying through the air as it rapidly ages

into an old man. At this point the man crashes to earth straight into a

grave. The endline appears: "Life is short. Play more."

The viral ad, titled Champagne, directs viewers to a website at

playmore.com. The site, developed by Dare Digital, which also handles

the online task for Xbox, includes games, the ad itself and

downloadables like screensavers.

The ad was written and art directed by Fred Raillard and Farid

Mokart.

Daniel Kleinman, through Spectre, directed the spot.

Neil Thompson, the European marketing director for Xbox, said: "The Xbox

will be built through word-of-mouth and experience, rather than a

blanket media approach."

The media buying and planning strategy, developed by Universal McCann,

follows the "Play more" theme. Communication channels being targeted

include TV, print, cinema, digital media, ambient, video e-mails, SMS

and video streaming.