Nintendo have released a press release for their upcoming handheld, GBA SP. Set to launch in the UK on March 28th with a lot of advertising. Below is the press release.

Launching in Europe on 28th March 2003, the Game Boy Advance SP, a truly pocket-sized gadget, is only 84.6mm from front to back, 82mm wide, and an incredibly svelte 24.3mm thin. Nintendo has given the console a completely new ultra stylish design to appeal to the most style conscious consumers of handheld technology worldwide. Gamers will also benefit from further innovations to suit its new image, including a flip-top screen with an integrated front screen light, plus a rechargeable lithium battery similar to those found in mobile phones, offering gamers over 10 hours of continuous illuminated game-play. When the front light is turned off, the continual play increases to approximately 18 hours. The Game Boy Advance SP marketing campaign targets the older gaming market, predominantly male with a love of gadgetry and noted for its appreciation of aesthetics. Nintendo has responded by putting in place a full multi media marketing campaign that will be highly visible and refreshingly innovative.

Nintendo has adopted a pan-European marketing strategy for the launch of this hand held console and the campaign incorporates numerous different facets at various stages of the campaign including elements of TV, cinema, the Internet, viral marketing, direct marketing, press, outdoor, sampling, promotions and PR. The campaign will roll out across all key European markets, just as the highly successful launch of the Game Boy Advance campaign did in 2001.

Positioning
Nintendo of Europe has developed a fresh marketing strategy for Game Boy Advance SP to fit its unique needs. The high-end hand-held console will be positioned as the premium product in the Game Boy Advance portfolio and made relevant to the core target audience of gadget loving older gamers. All above the line and below the line communications will support this positioning to build a grown up aspirational image for the GBA SP, bringing to life messages of premium and innovation. The GBA SP overall brand tonality is stylish, premium and highly visual.

Advertising
The inspiration for the above the line campaign is taken from the premium cues of fashion and fragrance advertising to reflect the inspirational nature of the product. A highly visual campaign, it uses striking imagery to communicate the new features of the console, particularly focusing on the illumination of the flip top screen, and it's pocket sized new look. Leo Burnetts Italia is responsible for all creative executions throughout the campaign, with the print images shot by Rodolfo Agromonte Martinez, an Italian fashion photographer with influences drawn from skin and sensuality. His work with acclaimed photographers such as Mikael Jansson and Steven Klein, as well as with magazines such as FHM Collections, Loaded Fashion and Cosmopolitan, have helped Rodolfo create his own individual photographic style seen in the GBA SP campaign.

"GBA SP: for men" is a strapline that will underpin Nintendo UK's biggest ever print campaign which will run over a four-month period with titles including FHM, The Face, Dazed and Confused and Maxim. The double page print campaign will be targeted to specifically reach the core consumer and features a 'premium feel' execution to reflect the brand positioning. A heavy weight cinema campaign will run with the films Matrix Reloaded and X-men 2. There will also be a national 6 sheet outdoor campaign and spectacular outdoor sites

Along side this, Nintendo has worked closely with MTV to create a major pan-European competition to promote the GBA SP launch based on the premium positioning of GBA SP. The high profile competition to be promoted both on-air and online will consist of 40" spots produced by MTV and a specific competition page online, with activity spanning a 3-4 week period. Themed as an opportunity to win a 'Rock Star Weekend' the prize consists of a trip for the winner (plus a friend) to spend 3 nights in New York, the first 15 hours spent living the 'rock star' life, followed by 2 days free leisure time. An MTV Photographer and journalist will accompany the winner, providing additional editorial for MTV and coverage for Nintendo.

The Internet
A pan-European website campaign has been developed by Blast Radius for the Pan-European Nintendo of Europe website, with localised versions specific to each market (www.nintendo.co.uk). Plus, the Game Boy Advance SP has its own dedicated microsite (www.nintendo-europe.com/ gameboyadvancesp) packed with info, images and video of the handheld in action.

Two creative tease and reveal executions have already been received by the VIPs and Club Members of the pan-European website, generating heightened anticipation for the product launch.

Similarly an extensive viral marketing campaign is already underway focussing on spreading the word about Game Boy Advance SP to the key opinion formers on the web. A campaign using numerous techniques such relationship building with third party sites and other viral techniques will roll out to target this core media-savvy market.

Sampling
In addition, Game Boy Advance will be heavily sampled and promoted in a summer campaign targeted to communicate the advantages of the GBA SP to the style conscious gadget fans across Europe.

PR
Underpinning the entire marketing campaign will be a heavyweight PR campaign that highlights the Game Boy Advance SP's unique points of difference and broaden Nintendo's appeal to an older more style conscious audience. The pre-launch activity will culminate with a high profile launch event focused on 'pocket-ability'.

Point of Sale
The POS creates a high profile environment for the GBA SP that focuses wholly on the product, ties in all the elements of the above the line and below the line campaigns to ensure total synergy and actively involves and engages the consumer.

Split into two key phases the POS will include various elements. The pre awareness phase will incorporate a hanging poster set, cashier dispenser, decoration box and an In store competition mechanic. The launch phase POS includes a 3D Shelf strip, Shelf banner, Giant Decoration Box, Free standing display unit (holds 24 boxes) and sleeves for electronic security gates. There will also be over 2000 new GBA SP interactives units installed across Europe and over 1 million GBA SP product flyers will be dispensed instore.

David Gosen, Managing Director, Nintendo of Europe says: "With the launch of Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo will be able to place their gaming expertise into the hands of new users who value outstanding design and cutting edge technology. There is an incredible range of over 300 games already available, and an ever-increasing number designed for players who may not have held a handheld console since the days of Tetris.

Following the incredible success of the Game Boy Advance, this is a very exciting time for Nintendo and an exceptional start to 2003. This is a far-reaching pan-European strategy to target a highly mobile, media-savvy group. The quality of the Game Boy Advance SP experience and the targeted media approach will deliver some outstanding results."

The console will be available in 3 premium metallic finishes, silver, black and blue, and the Game Boy Advance SP has the same powerful capabilities that propelled the success of Game Boy Advance across Europe. All current and future Game Boy Advance games are compatible with the new system. And similarly, Game Boy Advance SP is backwards compatible, allowing use with virtually all games and accessories previously released in the Game Boy series. In 2003 there will be over 60 new games hitting the shelves including GT Advance 3: Pro Concept from THQ, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance from Midway and James Bond Nightfire from EA, all of which will find a perfect home on the Game Boy Advance SP.

The Game Boy Advance SP launches in Europe on the 28th March 2003 and is expected to retail at around 129-139 Euros.

To win a GBA SP and a copy of Metroid Fusion for GBA enter the new Gamecube-Europe contest found here