HALO Ad Premiers - Finally An Excuse To Write About HALO
I jumped the BFG yesterday when I threw in a gratuitous HALO reference in an effort to drive up my search engine count. Had I done a little research, I’d have found a genuine HALO story. Then I could have mentioned HALO despite having nothing to say about HALO.
An ad for HALO appeared during ESPN’s Monday Night Football show. Specifically HALO 3. Ad Age brings up HALO because it’s unusual to advertise a game (such as Halo 3) which won’t be available for purchase until FALL 2007! That’s right, Microsoft Interactive is almost a year away from releasing HALO 3. Yet they are advertising HALO 3 now. How come?
The ad might help offset consumer frenzy over new game systems from rivals Nintendo (Wii) and Sony (PlayStation 3) — Microsoft’s Xbox 360 system bowed last holiday — but its timing also takes advantage of the current mad-for-gaming mind-set in an attempt to create “appointment TV for advertising.”
“We’re redefining reach and frequency,” said Jeff Bell, corporate VP-global marketing at Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. “We’re using ‘Monday Night Football’ for reach … and we’ll accumulate the frequency online.”
I shouldn’t have used those last two paragraphs, because they don’t mention HALO 3 by name at all. Let’s try again.
While it’s de rigeur Hollywood to show trailers for anticipated sequels a year or more in advance of their release, the strategy is foreign in the gaming world. But “Halo” is unique in the industry, having sold almost 15 million units for more than $700 million in sales, and “Halo 3″ is the last game of the trilogy.
A not unpopular series of games, this HALO. Jeff Bell, we learn may also be a big BORAT fan.
“This is a ‘no stone left unturned’ strategy,” Mr. Bell said. “We wouldn’t want to steal the thunder from our competition. Not! Of course we do.”
Look, I know this seems a little craven of me. But every time I add a unique visitor to the stats, an angel gets his wings. And his Halo!