Brandweek talks anatomy of Halo 3 marketing onslaught

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 12th 2007 at 4:25PM }

Brandweek breaks down the year-long marketing campaign by Microsoft for the launch of Halo 3. Brandweek says that the ads coming out as part of the "Believe" campaign (created by mega-firm McCann-Erickson) are the last part in the five-pronged assault.

Phase 1: Starry Nights introduced "Finish the fight" last year during Monday Night Football with 7.9 million households watching.
Phase 2: The Beta (yes, it deserves the capital B) -- must we say more?
Phase 3: Project Iris. For the hardest of the hardcore with a tip of the hat to Halo 2's "Ilovebees."
Phase 4: Merchandising, merchandising! Look at all the product tie-in stuff.
Phase 5: The "Believe" campaign along with the festivities.

And just to give a small taste of how much madness there is surrounding direct or indirect Halo 3 marketing, we present to you a fan-made audio clip featuring the guys from X3F's podcast in "Buy teh Haloz." Created by Travis Johnson, we have a horrible feeling like we'll be compelled to put it at the bottom of each Halo marketing related post we do between now and launch. Nobody ever makes insane audio clips of the Joystiq podcast.

Buy teh Haloz -- Travis Johnson

Tags: advertising, halo3, marketing

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Word of the street. @ Sep 12th 2007 4:29PM

Huh I thought phase 3 was profit...

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 4:35PM

I can't believe joystiq passed up the chance to throw an underpants gnomes reference in there. Next time you write up a complex phase marketing strategy, Alexander, if it doesn't have at least one missing phase I swear I'll punch so many kitties that congress is going to pass a law to make me stop punching kitties.

Abuzar @ Sep 12th 2007 4:41PM

Off topic, but how the hell do you get into that page where you can change your avatar?

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 4:43PM

You reply to people who care.

Or click on your name and enter your pw.

teenagertc @ Sep 12th 2007 5:44PM

Phase 1: Take the underwear
Phase 2: ????
Phase 3: Profit!!!

UNDERPANTS GNOMES UNITE!!

ExMcloud @ Sep 12th 2007 4:30PM

I love that song...lol...I can see MC hitting his head on a wall or something.....

chukz @ Sep 12th 2007 4:30PM

Phase 6: Realizing most of the people buying Halo 3 already have an Xbox360, Microsoft quickly adds a download patch that will let you shoot ducks and cook meals to attract the casual market.

:D

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 4:30PM

That song is the best thing I've ever heard. I'm gonna buy two Halos now.

vidGuy @ Sep 12th 2007 4:35PM

You know, that pic has me thinking; how many copies is Halo 3 going to sell on day one and overall? I mean, Halo 2 sold ~2.4million on its first day, but the XBOX had a lot more players then, too. For the hell of it, I'll say -

Day One sales: 2.5 million, overall revenue of USD$150million

Overall sales: 6.5 million, overall revenue of $390 million

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 4:37PM

Vidguy just logic-ed on all of your heads. I commend you twice in one day sir.

vidGuy @ Sep 12th 2007 4:40PM

Well you see, I'm starting to think that I need to be in the video game industry. Whoring a franchise out is a hell of a lot more profitable than whoring yourself out ;)

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 4:44PM

Not if your sexy enough.

Mr Khan @ Sep 12th 2007 5:16PM

I would say that it would sell more copies day 1, cuz its hyped even more than 2 (and that was hyped more than 1 by an order of magnitude), but its lifetime sales depend on a few factors that i can't predict. Off the top of my head, i'd say it would sell less because its starting from about 1/2 the userbase that Xbox had when Halo 2 came out. But then again, it may pull a "Smash Bros Melee" and sell consistently well throughout the remaining lifespan of the console

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:20PM

The old timer in the commercial better hope he doesn't meet me on live when I get this game. I'll overturn a warthog on his face and fire an M41 at his mom so hard.

DigitalHero @ Sep 12th 2007 4:42PM

Here is the new Halo 3 TV Ad guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rcL2tqZp3c

Word of the street. @ Sep 12th 2007 4:47PM

I was looking for that in youtube 1 hour ago,good to see it was uploaded but I already got it.

BTW there are 3 seconds missing at the end.

hvnlysoldr (NDF - Wind Ring) @ Sep 12th 2007 4:49PM

That's already reported. I won't scream old at you.

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 4:49PM

During those 3 seconds Master Chief has tons of unprotected sex, and takes off his helmet. Can't believe you missed it.

Gronar @ Sep 12th 2007 5:16PM

I love the way Teamxbox try's to whore it with there name, like they fucking made it.

NATO_Duke @ Sep 12th 2007 4:57PM

I will buy anything they tell me to - can't resist marketing. Must get a MT Dew on my way to Gamestop, which is on the way to Best Buy, while I drive my new Pontiac Vibe 'warthog edition'.

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:10PM

The other day I was in target and I saw the new mountain dew with the Chief on it. I'm dead serious when I say that right this very second to the left of me is a can of that very same drink. I bought it, and I don't even like it that much, but it was my obligation to buy it because the Chief is so badass. His helmet stared right into my heart and I proceeded to purchase 5 cases of Halo mountain dew. It's not that good :(

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:12PM

update: It's starting to grow on me. Which is good because I bought 5 cases. I didn't want casual gamers to stumble upon them and take them to their houses. Thanks to me my local target is currently sold of out the Chief's special drank.

NATO_Duke @ Sep 12th 2007 5:12PM

Not that good? Don't let the Chief hear you say that.

Or a marketing exec from MS for that matter.

Just tell yourself its the best drink ever and its full over super soldier making juice...or just find your receipt and bring the rest back.

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:16PM

Bring the rest back? I may be whacked out on this crazy orange mountain dew, but if anyone tries to take my drank, it's going to be hell to pay. They're growing on me as I drink them. It's either caffeine or MS/Bungie has stooped down to the lowest form of advertising:

Halo Crack.

blooh @ Sep 12th 2007 4:58PM

i haven't seen any halo ads except the ones posted here

am i lucky? lol

Helloimbob @ Sep 12th 2007 5:07PM

Theres gotta be 2 more phases... It wouldn't be bungie enough it it wasn't 7...

hvnlysoldr (NDF - Wind Ring) @ Sep 12th 2007 5:13PM

Phase 6 ???
Phase 7 Profit

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:21PM

Thank your mr. hvnly.

Helloimbob @ Sep 13th 2007 11:30AM

Phase 6: Game Release
Phase 7: Mad Profitz

Word of the street. @ Sep 12th 2007 5:08PM

I have to say I'm glad the wait for Halo 3 is almost over not only because I want the game already because the words "Limited" “Special” and "Hype" have never been abused this much in history.

For example The Crackdown copies with the Beta invitation,

The beta invitation if I’m not wrong says something like “by purchasing this specially marked version of crackdown you have secured an invitation to be among the first to play the anticipated Halo 3 bla bla….”

I don’t know you but I never saw a copy of crackdown that didn’t included the Beta. I guess the special editions of crackdown are those that didn’t include the beta.

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:17PM

I'm drinking "Limited Edition Beta Mountain Hype Chief Dew". Does that confirm your worries?

Word of the street. @ Sep 12th 2007 5:22PM

Well at least is not "Limited Edition Beta Mountain Hype Chief Dew-The super special Legendary Edition that you only get by pre-ordering at Gamestop".

Sean @ Sep 12th 2007 5:08PM

Must. Buy. More. Teh Haloz.

NATO_Duke @ Sep 12th 2007 5:15PM

Get to it son! Little starving kids of MS employees are waiting on your support!!!!

Sean @ Sep 12th 2007 5:25PM

They can feed their children Gamer Fuel MD and Halo 3 slurpees for eternity!

Mr Khan @ Sep 12th 2007 5:23PM

It's not 1/2 as bad as i assumed it was going to be

The staggered advertising, i presume, is substituting a full-on blitz. Some of the commercials have actually been funny (like the GameStop one about saying goodbye to Halo 2), and Gamer Fuel is a good drink in its own, not just a random gimmick. The ads aren't intrusive, arrogant, obnoxious, or offensive

Microsoft has certainly matured in their gaming-advertisment strategy, its a far cry from the testosterone-charged arrogance of the Xbox 1 ads

Vegnagun @ Sep 12th 2007 5:27PM

I disagree with the gamer fuel comment.

Sean @ Sep 12th 2007 5:49PM

I agree, Gamer Fuel is whack. It tastes like Code Red and Livewire combined.

blooh @ Sep 12th 2007 5:52PM

eww, code red is nasty. i do like the orange mtn dew though

Sean @ Sep 12th 2007 6:00PM

Code Red is my favorite. :D

Sean @ Sep 12th 2007 6:06PM

Code Red is my favorite. :D

HaleysComet @ Sep 12th 2007 6:24PM

Code Red tastes awesome!

Seriously I thought I would hate it and at first it kept giving me this wierd feeling/taste in my mouth. However it quickly grew on me and now I love it. It really does get you energized.

sony should take a lesson on marketing from MS and this whole Halo thing. No seriously this is genius. The way they've created and executed the whole strategy. Halo seems EVERYWHERE yet its not coming across as completely annoying and nonstop in your face.

Plus no babies are crying and no goats are being slaughtered.