The above video showcases some very early commercials advertising the SG-1000. They introduce the classic 'seeegaaaa' jingle that became synonymous with the company for years, used in both the games and commercials.
Throughout the early years of Sega's console development Nintendo was always the main competitor. The 'Master System' was released as direct competition for the 'Nintendo Entertainment System' (NES). While Nintendo's ad campaigns were directed towards a more family friendly, light-hearted atmosphere, Sega appealed directly to their main demographic.
The late-child to mid-teens were targeted with fast, dynamic advertisement campaigns that aimed to provide the hardware with a futuristic aura. The 'Master System' also continued with a growing trend of movie tie-in games. Films such as 'Rambo', 'Predator' and 'The Terminator' were amongst the few, and while they carried certifications above the age of the demographic, the attraction of the films served to increase the games appeal. Today these kind of games carry the reputation of being in general poor games, cashing-in on the success of the films.
The 'Master System' proved highly successful in Europe and South America, but failed to take off in Japan and North America, saturated by competitor Nintendo. One reason for this is considered to be restrictions placed upon 3rd party developers by Nintendo, forbidding them to develop for other hardware, resulting in little outside support for the console. This restriction was removed due to legislation imposed by the U.S government in 1991. By this time however the 'Master Systems' sales were virtually non-existent.
It was with the release of the Sega 'Mega Drive' ('Genesis' in the U.S) that the company began aggressive ad campaigns, entirely focused on discrediting and down-sizing Nintendo, the main competition. Prior to the consoles release the closest thing the company had to a mascot was 'Opa Opa', the protagonist from 'Fantasy Zone', which was unofficially replaced by 'Alex Kidd' upon it's re-release in 1990.
The game 'Sonic the Hedgehog' was released in 1991 and contained a protagonist that seemed to fit hand-in-hand with the dynamic image of the company. The character had an attitude that was unmatched, and the speed of the game-play was unparalleled on it's competitor the 'NES'. 'Sonic' became the figurehead of the company and was used in direct comparison to Nintendo's mascot 'Mario'. The campaigns aimed to make the short, fat plumber look 'uncool' like a... short, fat plumber.
In Europe the 'Mega Drive' was able to build upon it's already successful predecessor the 'Master System', but the console did not take off as easily in the U.S and Japan, which was still largely dominated by Nintendo. Cutting the price of the console, and repackaging with the acclaimed 'Sonic the Hedgehog' was the first step. After this Sega decided to meet the competition head-on with a series of rapacious ad campaigns focusing on challenging Nintendo's foot-hold.
From the above comparison it is easy to see the bold, assertive approach to advertising that Sega has always adopted. This approach appealed to the kids of the late 80's to early 90's, and tried to identify with them as a company in order to try and increase popularity amongst it's main demographic, and therefore sales.
One of the most memorable slogans from Sega's 'Genesis' campaign. Aimed at promoting the console in North America and showing it's superior capabilities over that of the NES. The fact that it is still remembered today proves it's success, but Nintendo still held the majority of sales in the region. Many popular sports stars were also called in to lend their names to games that would hopefully improve the systems reputation and draw in fans from other areas of entertainment.
A number of other slogans proved successful at infiltrating the minds of the public in Europe, the most memorable being "To be this good takes AGES, to be this good takes SEGA". Another indication of Sega appealing to the more mature demographic can be seen with the following advertisement, making use of adult humor and innuendo:
By the release of the Sega 'Saturn' the 'Mega Drive' was easily the most successful console in Europe and South America, but had failed to overcome the competition in Japan and North America. Support for the console in Europe lasted until 1997 when the company announce it would be discontinued, along with the long-lasting 'Master System'.
Another example of the aggressive advertisements Sega deployed to combat competition. Advertisements such as these have never been used within the industry by any other company. The commercial serves to demean the 'Playstation', calling it 'Plaything' and making it look like a childs toy. This is another example of the more mature demographic Sega aimed for, and aims to make the 'Saturn' look like the logical choice for serious gamers. The 'Saturn' became incredibly successful in Japan in comparison to it's predecessor.
Sticks to the Sega tradition of fast, explosive advertising to sell it's product. Also if you look carefully at 0:40, there is a subtle piece of Sega 'Saturn' subliminal promotion in the form of the logo formed of light, visible just before the bike breaks through the debris. I am uncertain as to whether this tactic has been used previously by the company, but it's inclusion makes sense as the 'Saturn' was still selling well in Japan right up to the launch of the 'Dreamcast'.
A slightly different approach that doesn't rely on the dynamic, in-your-face attitude adopted by most of the company's previous campaigns. This advertisement instead stresses the fact that the release of the 'Dreamcast' is a momentous occasion, and appeals to the 'hard-core' gamers 'superior' skills. I believe this to be a trend that runs not only through Sega advertisement campaigns, but is a technique used by companies all over the world, from multiple industries. The aim is to raise the products image making it seem like the more mature, specialist hardware in comparison to competitors, in order to make the consumer feel like part of a small, elitist community.
The 'Dreamcast' was eventually discontinued, labeled a failure by the industry, though this may be both unfair and inaccurate. Financially however the console did not do enough to justify it's placement upon the market and in January 2001 Sega decided not only to discontinue the system but to focus entirely on creating software for other consoles.
Many claim that it was the marketting of the console that inevitably contributed to the consoles demise. While at it's release it was the most powerful and technologically advanced console, it soon became swamped with the overwhelming hype generated by the 'Playstation 2'. The brute force of the Sony system was enough to make people forget the features that it was lacking and the 'Dreamcast' possessed, such as an internet ready modem, and this is evident of a truly successful marketing campaign. The success of the 'Playstation' alone was enough to daunt 3rd party developers, many of whom decided to play safe and wait for the up-and-coming successor to it's console throne.
