Nintendo announce GBA ad blitz
$75m push from NoA
Nintendo of America has announced a $75 million advertising blitz to land the GameBoy Advance in North America. The campaign, which will kick off in the run up to the console's 11th June release date, will target everyone from high school teenagers to travelling businessmen. The company will inject $25m spending into advertising prior to the launch, and $75m by the year's end. According to Nintendo, the campaign is being led by Leo Burnett USA, a Chicago-based advertising agency, and include such spectacles as young women adorned with GameBoy Advance units walking around in public places. The console, which will cost $99.95 when it hits American shores, has already been dubbed the "pocket Super Nintendo" by critics, who are mad about it. With hot properties like Super Mario Advance and F-Zero Advance lining up for launch, the GBA is expected to make inroads on the astonishing 100m original GameBoy sales within its first year. Related Feature - First GBA sales figures