Xbox 360 plus beer in NZ: the start of something viral

If the I Love Bees campaign is to be used as an example, then the Xbox 360 apparently, has a good history (except in Japan, damn that stupid Do Do Do campaign) of having some decent viral publicity stunts. Their recent stunts during the PlayStation 3 launch, proves that a good offense is the best defense. They put a big floating advert in front of the French PS3 launch, and they sarcastically welcomed Sony to the next-generation.

Apparently, they’re doing it world wide. NZGamer reports that in New Zealand, in commemoration of the Xbox 360’s 1st birthday, beer was sent to GamePlanet’s Auckland store. And yes, you guessed it, the amount of beer is equivalent to the price difference of the Sony PS3 and the Xbox 360. Take a gander:

If anything, what they’re doing is catchy. It hammers in a point, and it makes sense to something close to our testosterone driven selves: our beer-loving guts. Some of us here at QJ believe that this is the proper way to start a ture viral marketing campaign. Do something well, something that a lot of folks can understand and associate with, let it go, and then let the masses run with it. It’ll spread, like, you know, a virus. It’s a quiet effect of suggestion, not an arrogant declaration.

Microsoft‘s expenditure for this little stunt of theirs? Not that big. Small enough for other Microsoft fans to do. Ultimately this is probably more cost-effective (and effective) than AllIWantforChristmasisaPSP, semi-official Sony Blogs, Play B3yond, and the ambiguous This is Living advertising campaign. This is something that isn’t too vague as to not be an online meme.

Aren’t you, the Xbox 360 fans, glad that Microsoft seems to understand how the internetz works?

If the I Love Bees campaign is to be used as an example, then the Xbox 360 apparently, has a good history (except in Japan, damn that stupid Do Do Do campaign) of having some decent viral publicity stunts. Their recent stunts during the PlayStation 3 launch, proves that a good offense is the best defense. They put a big floating advert in front of the French PS3 launch, and they sarcastically welcomed Sony to the next-generation.

Apparently, they’re doing it world wide. NZGamer reports that in New Zealand, in commemoration of the Xbox 360’s 1st birthday, beer was sent to GamePlanet’s Auckland store. And yes, you guessed it, the amount of beer is equivalent to the price difference of the Sony PS3 and the Xbox 360. Take a gander:

If anything, what they’re doing is catchy. It hammers in a point, and it makes sense to something close to our testosterone driven selves: our beer-loving guts. Some of us here at QJ believe that this is the proper way to start a ture viral marketing campaign. Do something well, something that a lot of folks can understand and associate with, let it go, and then let the masses run with it. It’ll spread, like, you know, a virus. It’s a quiet effect of suggestion, not an arrogant declaration.

Microsoft‘s expenditure for this little stunt of theirs? Not that big. Small enough for other Microsoft fans to do. Ultimately this is probably more cost-effective (and effective) than AllIWantforChristmasisaPSP, semi-official Sony Blogs, Play B3yond, and the ambiguous This is Living advertising campaign. This is something that isn’t too vague as to not be an online meme.

Aren’t you, the Xbox 360 fans, glad that Microsoft seems to understand how the internetz works?