Christmas Axe Heroes

Christmas is fast approaching and the battle to be top game dog is at its most intense, with the R word hanging over most products and retailers. Confidence is key – keep the stores upbeat and they will support the product on the sales floor. And nothing bespeaks confidence quite as well as good promotional campaign in the run up to Christmas.

Take Guitar Hero, for example; the awesome marketing power behind this much-loved computer game is undeniable and whilst one might argue that its latest incarnation, Guitar Hero World Tour, doesn’t really need to be plugged, hey, they went ahead and produced a viral campaign anyway.

And I’ve got to say I love it; it’s smart, clever and obviously has traction, given that it has accumulated 1,587,794 views, nearly 7000 comments and is clearly driving a huge online conversation. In the past I have experienced promo hubris – the belief of some brands that seasonal desirability negates the need for further marketing spend on promo.

The Guitar Hero boys, however, haven’t sat back on their Christmas laurel wreaths; instead they have worked hard with the drive to promote their latest offering. I hope they will be rewarded when the sales are evaluated. Let’s just hope that EUK warehouses are not full of the product come January.