Future Plus teams up with Sony for high-end advertising in the UK
Sony is continuing their treatment of the PlayStation 3 as the Ferrari of consoles by teaming up with customer publishing agency Future Plus, to produce a 60 page, high-end brochure for UK consumers. The glossy PS3 novella will be distributed by Sony across the British Isles at special events and kiosks scattered throughout the area.
Over 250,000 copies of the 'lavishly produced' brochure will be handed out to consumers in the pre-Christmas ramp-up period. The publication will be separated into four different sections highlighting the HD capabilities of the PS3, upcoming Blu-ray movie titles and games, as well as the console's robust online features. The hope is that the brochure will provide prospective PS3 owners with all the possible information they need to convince them that Sony's console is the one to choose this holiday.
It will be interesting to see how well Sony's high-end marketing campaign will work in the UK. The cost of the PS3 there is astronomical (by American standards at least) so embracing the luxury market may be a good idea. At the same time, it might not do much for the actual sales of the PS3. Think about it -- who sold more cars last year? Ferrari or Toyota?
Full Press Release after the jump
Premium handbook promotes Sony's next-gen console
10/09/07– Sony Computer Entertainment (UK) – SCE(UK) has signed up the UK's fastest growing customer publishing agency – Future Plus, to produce a high-end brochure for its PlayStation 3® console.
The new brochure is part of a wider promotional campaign, as SCE(UK) gears up for the first Christmas of the PS3 ®, which launched across Europe earlier this year.
The brochure acts as a sales and customer acquisition tool for Sony's console. Over 250,000 copies of the brochure will be distributed by Sony at specially created PlayStation 3 displays and events held across the UK – at major shopping centres, department stores and transport hubs from early October – as the company educates potential buyers about the benefits of the PlayStation 3 console. Aside from hosting the most advanced video games, the PlayStation 3 is a media hub for the front room, playing Blu-Ray movies and offering internet connectivity, with personal video recorder (PVR) functionality coming early next year.
A lavishly produced 60-page perfect bound, matt laminate brochure, the publication is closer to a premium car brochure than traditional video games marketing materials. The handbook is split into four clearly defined chapters, revealing all about the console's advanced HD technology, the upcoming games and movies, its powerful online capabilities, with all the facts and figures a prospective new owner could want.
Alan Duncan, UK Marketing Director, SCEE, said:
"Future Plus got the objective of communicating the broad functionality of PlayStation 3 in a digestible form from day one. Their solution meets the objective whilst retaining a sense of attitude and personality which is so important to PlayStation. Deepening consumer's understanding of the PS3 is important for us this Christmas and the brochure will play a key role in achieving this."
Mike Goldsmith, Editorial Director, Future Plus added:
"We are delighted to be working with SCE (UK) on our first project together. This high-end brochure will be a fantastic marketing tool for the PlayStation 3, designed to encourage, attract and educate potential buyers. There will be fierce competition for console sales this Christmas and the brochure will give many reasons why people should buy a PlayStation 3 over its rivals."
