Microsoft's Xbox is to position itself as a more "positive and
inclusive" brand than Sony PlayStation2 as it unleashes its pan-European
launch marketing under the tagline 'Play more'.
The first advertising for the console, by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, breaks
on February 7 in the games and consumer press and will build up to a TV
campaign nearer the March 14 launch date.
Xbox has also appointed Omnicom-owned Agency Republic to steer its
direct marketing efforts and handle customer retention. It will build up
a customer database through registration cards distributed in the game
boxes and through playmore.com, which it describes as its brand
experience web site.
Xbox will also install 7000 pre-launch demo units in European retail
outlets.
The brand advertising will follow executions promoting particular
games.
According to Harvey Eagle, European ad manager at Xbox, Microsoft will
focus on pushing the games Halo, Project Gotham Racing, Munchies Odyssey
and Dead or Alive III.
He said Xbox would be positioned as "positive and inclusive", against
what he described as PlayStation2's "dark and exclusive" brand identity
conveyed by its 'Third Place' ads.
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