Winner: Nintendo and GolinHarris
Campaign: Nintendo "Disrupts" The Interactive Entertainment
Industry
The Mission:
Once a giant in the video game industry, Nintendo's brand had waned as its two titanic competitors, Microsoft and Sony, asserted themselves as leaders in the marketplace; thus,
executives wanted to reassert Nintendo's relevance.
The Hook:
Teaming up with GolinHarris (GH), Nintendo PR execs organized a campaign to rebrand itself as a "market disruptor" that would bring back innovation to the entertainment
landscape, while appealing to a nontraditional audience: women, Baby Boomers and seniors. Nintendo and GH also wanted to expand Nintendo's "market disruptor" position to the
application of products such as its DS hand-held game system and the soon-to-be launched Wii home console.
The Strategy:
Between November 2005 and March 2006, Nintendo and GH targeted key influencers with presentations at major industry events, such as the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate,
Entertain) Summit and the Game Developers Conference. As buzz about Nintendo's new stance grew, GH scored two exclusive interviews with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-
Aime and two major industry trades, CNET and BrandWeek. Also, industry pioneer Will Wright lent his seal of approval, which helped Nintendo reach a wider, mainstream audience.
Nintendo and GH's desire to reach the masses crystallized with a four-page feature in Time magazine; an Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times written by GH for Nintendo President
Satoru Iwata; a page touting the Wii launch on the popular social networking site, MySpace.com; and media coverage in leading publications and TV shows.
Mission Accomplished:
The campaign generated 10 billion media impressions, with most coverage centered on the company's rebranding. Plus, sales for the Wii has made it the best-selling console in
Nintendo history, selling close to 6 million systems worldwide since its launch.
The campaign has also resulted in laurels for Nintendo: In early 2007, it was named by Forbes.com as one of the "Top Disruptors of 2006." GolinHarris was also spotlighted in
Investor's Business Daily for its launch of the Wii console. PRN