The brief:
What is wanted?
The purpose of the advertising is to increase the share of voice for the
PlayStation 4 while creating positive brand associations and generating word of
mouth. The campaign should then generate free media coverage to increase the
visibility of the brand and to create a strong connection between the
innovative nature of the type of advertising used and the PlayStation Brand.
The consumer should perceive PlayStation as being tuned to their needs, innovative,
creative and clever.
Who is targeted?
The target is very wide in order to reflect the broadening definition of
gamers in terms of both age and gender. As such, while the primary target
audience will be males aged 18-32, the secondary audience will consist of both
males and females aged 16-40 who either already own a PlayStation console or a
competitor’s console. They have an interest in technology and appreciate
innovation and creativity when deciding between brands.
The creative:
1. Street Crossings - Place a model of a PS4 Controller at signalised
pedestrian crossings on top of the button you need to press to signal that you
want to cross the road. The button would be the start button present on the PS4
Controllers and the slogan would be along the lines of “PS4 - We’ll take you
anywhere”. This idea would be beneficial for the campaign because of the very
high traffic associated with pedestrian crossings as a place where people
gather and wait. Furthermore, the idea of pushing a button to cross the street
is a very congruent one with the idea of video gaming being an escapist
activity and can serve as a metaphor for our product. That button on a pole
will help you cross the street. That button on a PS4 controller will help you
explore new worlds and realities and they both start with the simple push of a
button.
2. Bus stops - Convert bus stops into fictional gaming areas - replace
benches with gaming chairs and tilt them slightly backwards so that their field
of view is lifted. The twist would be that, in preparation of the
campaign, photographs of the view from those bus stops would be taken and
edited, enhanced with digital techniques made to look surreal and
incredible compared to the, possibly, dull reality of what’s actually in
front of the people waiting for the bus. Then, this panoramic view would be
placed right underneath the ceiling and right above the view with the message:
“PlayStation 4- And your world will never be the same again. “
As is the case with the street crossing, bus stops are also places where
people gather and have to wait, often bored and looking for any distraction.
Offering them exactly what they are looking for in a surprising way is,
potentially, not only a great opportunity to promote the product through a type
of augmented reality techniques but it is also a very likely way of
generating word of mouth and considerable free media coverage.
3. Toilets - In restaurant and pub toilets attach templates to the
mirrors, making them look like gaming user interfaces, as if creating a new
profile for a game. In the centre, where the virtual face of a character in the
game would be you have the reflection of the person. On the left there are
personal specifications like age - doesn’t matter, height - tall enough to
reach the TV stand, eyes - functional, hair - not in your eyes and under the
image of the person you have the occupation - Gamer. The slogan: “PS4 - Get in
character!” This follows the idea advertisers have had in the past to advertise
in public toilets as they are places where people have to go and spend time in
while, usually, looking around for things to read in an attempt to make time go
by faster. This sort of distraction is guaranteed to draw a lot of attention,
become a subject of discussion when people go out and, hopefully, create
memorable and positive associations with the brand.
