Leagas Breaks Sega Sports Ads

Sega Sports today kicks off a new national TV and print campaign promoting its six 2002 titles. The first two ads, a 60-second anthem-style spot and a 30-second spot, both tout the NFL 2K2 game and break tonight during Monday Night Football. Five 10-second spots roll out today as well, and two other 30-second spots will air on national network and cable stations this fall. Six print ads will run in national consumer magazines and gaming titles. This is the first campaign for Sega Sports from Leagas Delaney, San Francisco. The agency won the account in May. The business had previously been at Foote, Cone & Belding here. Sega of America, San Francisco, which oversees the Sega Sports and Sega Entertainment brands, spends approximately $25 million a year on advertising, per CMR. Spending for this campaign was not disclosed. There is no tagline, but Korki Noble, account director at Leagas Delaney, said the agency built the spots by focusing on an unspoken theme: "Be ready." That line does not appear in the ads, but it guided the shop in its attempts to explain "the spirit of competition and level of gameplay these sports titles require," said Noble. The 60-second ad launching tonight features a montage showcasing nine different ways people can prepare to play sports videogames. For example, one man analyzes diagrams of football plays on his bathroom wall as he takes a shower. "There's a misconception that videogames are for kids," said Noble. These spots, which are targeted at men 18-34, show that players must understand the strategy of sport to play these games well, she said. Working on sports games has been a natural fit for the 45-person shop, which also handles Adidas. "We understand youth marketing and sports," Noble said. Also, co-president and executive creative director Vince Engel, who joined in June, worked extensively on Nike at Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore. And Wayne Buder, who joined as co-president and managing director last week, was instrumental in building a relationship with videogaming client Electronic Arts while president of Odiorne Wilde Narraway & Partners here. Sega Sports recently said it will expand its offerings across all video game systems, developing titles in every major sports category, said Stacey Kerr, client senior product manager.

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Leagas Breaks Sega Sports Ads

Sarah J. Heim

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Sarah J. Heim