Press release: 1997-09-24: Sega Ties With Consumer Giants To Promote Fall PC Games Line-Up

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: Sega.com (archived)

SEGA TIES WITH CONSUMER GIANTS TO PROMOTE FALL PC GAMES LINE-UP

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- (September 24, 1997) --
Sega® Entertainment, Inc. (SEI) has signed joint promotional deals with a number of leading consumer products companies as part of its fall marketing strategy to sell PC games to the mass market buyer. SEI's promotional partners include Hershey'sTM, M&M/MarsTM, March of DimesTM and CompaqTM Computer Corp., resulting in millions of impressions through on-package offers, point-of-purchase displays and co-op advertising for consumer products sold nationwide.

"The partnership between candy bars and computer games indicates that PC gaming is now a mass market product category," said Jill Braff, director of marketing, SEI. "These lifestyle-marketing campaigns enable us to reach our target buyers through a range of product tie-ins that directly correlate to the demographics of the new PC gaming audience."

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEWS:

Hershey's is Sweet on Sega
Hershey's is offering an exclusive SonicTM the Hedgehog PC Sampler of four great Sega games, including Sonic CDTM, Sonic & KnucklesTM, Sonic's SchoolhouseTM and GarfieldTM. The offer will appear on 10 million six-packs of Milk ChocolateTM, AlmondTM, Reese'sTM, NutrageousTM, Kit KatTM and Peppermint PattyTM products. The program runs August 1 - December 31 and will be supported by point-of-purchase materials, including coupon tear pads.

March of Dimes Offers Free PC Games
The one million sponsors and participants supporting the "Rebel with a Cause" race, the largest motorcycle charity event on the east coast, will receive coupons for free copies of SEI's arcade racing game DaytonaTM USA Deluxe. This promotion was coordinated by B&N Companies, a promotional premium company focusing on software out of Atlanta. Running from September - December, the promotion will benefit the "healthy baby" programs.

Compaq and Sega Go "Mad About You"
Compaq's "Go Mad with Compaq and Go Mad with Savings" program, co-sponsored by Sega Entertainment, gives people who buy any Compaq PresarioTM computer up to $50 in savings on great Sega PC games plus an exclusive "Mad About Your" music CD. Consumers can save $10 off each of the top-selling Sega PC games this fall: Virtua Fighter 2TM, Worldwide SoccerTM, Sonic 3D Blast, Manx TT SuperBikeTM and DaytonaTM USA Deluxe. Compaq's comprehensive promotional program runs August 28 - October 31, 1997. In-store POP displays, print advertising and co-op radio spots will build awareness.

Sega Entertainment's fall marketing plan also includes a print advertising campaign which kicks-off in October developed by award-winning Foote, Cone & Belding. PC products supported in the campaign include Manx TT SuperBikeTM, NBA ActionTM `98, Enemy ZeroTM, Last BronxTM, Daytona USA Deluxe and Sonic 3D Blast. The campaign theme is completely integrated with the look and feel Sega of America's console advertising using the "Sega: Hard Stuff" tag line and offering the most sought-after information among gamers -- cheat codes.

Sega Entertainment, Inc. was founded in April of 1996, and aims to bring 3D polygon-based action/arcade, racing and sports gaming to the PC. Leveraging Sega's arcade leadership and library of game content, the company is committed to redefining the PC gaming experience with titles featuring high frame rates, 3D characters and environments, high polygon counts, detailed texture mapping, multiplayer online gaming and emotion-triggered gameplay that is unmatched by competing PC games. Sega Entertainment, Inc. was formed through a joint venture between Sega of America and SOFTBANK Holdings, Inc.