Get Ready To Be Innundated With Xbox 360 Commercials: Microsft’s Biggest Ad Campaign Yet

Wasting (so far) $300 million on an ad campaign to promote Windows Vista? That’s nothing to Microsoft. Now it’s set to waste another couple million dollars on its largest ever ad campaign for the Xbox 360. That’s odd for a few reasons, primarily because, you know, the Xbox 360 is actually popular with its intended demographic. But hey, it’s Microsoft’s right to spend its money however it sees fit, right?

The new ad campaign started last week and is intended to sure up sales of the 360 as we enter the critical holiday shopping season. (It’s not hyperbole to say that the holiday season is gaming’s most important time of year.) The campaign’s tag line, “Live your Moment,” works on a few levels. There’s the obvious Xbox Live tie-in, but then it also works on a sort of emo band level. You know, live now and in the moment, enjoy your youth with your friends (they’ll always be your friends!), and so on. It’s real Saves The Day or Dashboard Confessional type stuff.
What is sorta surprising about the campaign is that Microsoft will focus its attention on the $199 Xbox Arcade model of the 360. Since the 360 is still seen as a “hardcore” gamer’s console, spending so much money to attract, let’s face it, the Wii market seems a little off. Who knows, maybe the company’s snazzy in-house numbers show something we don’t understand?
In any event, expect Xbox 360 commercials every 25 seconds from now on, especially on “guy” channels like ESPN and Spike.
MS Launches Biggest Ever Xbox 360 Marketing Blitz [Edge Online]