Sony Launches New Ad Campaign Aimed At 13-17-Year-Olds

Following a retail price drop of its PSP hand-held system in early April, Sony has announced a new marketing campaign for the system targeting the 13-17-year-old market.

The "Dude, Get Your Own" campaign will use a humorous style to push the PSP as a high-status, in-demand system, and will focus on its multimedia capabilities as well as its prowess as a game console. The ad campaign will feature both television ads and online videos. Sony will also be launching a supporting website at www.us.playstation.com/dudegetyourown.com.

As well as appearing on Sony's own sites, the online ads will also be appearing on websites such as IGN.com, Gamespot.com, ESPN.com and Maxim.com. The campaign is expected to run through July of 2007.

While a more technologically-capable system, the PSP still lags distantly behind the Nintendo DS in terms of units sold, at least in part due to the DS' considerably lower price tag. "Dude, Get Your Own" is intended to reinforce the PSP's new accessibility to the demographic most like to choose the Nintendo DS based on its lower price.

According to gaming site Kotaku, the April price cut had an immediate and considerable impact on the PSP's fortunes: two days after the price drop, sales of the unit increased by 300 percent.