Nintendo has extended its relationship with Leagas Delaney in
Europe, appointing the agency to the launch account for its Game Boy
Color in the UK, Germany and France.
Game Boy, Nintendo’s hand-held computer games system, has previously
been handled by Young & Rubicam across Europe.
The manufacturer shifted the business for Nintendo 64, its advanced TV
games console, out of Y&R’s German division and into Leagas Delaney in
September.
The Game Boy Color ad features a young man attaching his Game Boy to a
very long extension lead in order to play the game without interruption
in the middle of a field. His scheme is foiled, however, when his mother
unplugs his lead in order to use the hoover.
The new version of Game Boy has a colour screen and is being launched to
capitalise on the Christmas market.
The ad was written by Rob Burleigh, art directed by Dave Beverley and
directed by Calle Astrand from @radical.media.
The campaign broke on 27 November in the UK, and is running on
terrestrial and satellite television. Media buying in the UK is through
Austin West.
Nintendo is spending pounds 2 million promoting the launch of its latest
N64 game, Zelda, which is due out at the beginning of December. Again,
the launch has been timed to coincide with Christmas.
Creative for this campaign has been developed by Leo Burnett in the US.