Blu-ray: New Info on "I do Blu" Ad Campaign

Sensing the need to step up promotional efforts behind the Blu-ray Disc format heading into the critical holiday selling season, a group of hardware manufacturers and studios have pooled their resources on a "multimillion-dollar" television, print and online advertising campaign, billed as the largest for the format so far.

"Before we were really targeting the early adopter [with Blu-ray] but now the time is right to really go broad," said Rich Marty, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment new business development VP. "The [PlayStation3] is coming out at $399 now, and while some of purchasers will be into games, we believe a lot more of them will also really be into movies."

The ads reference the quality of full HD 1080, Marty said, and features players and sets that don't focus on any particular brand to remain fair to the three supporting equipment manufactures.

Companies backing the project include hardware manufacturers Sony, Panasonic and Philips, and Blu-ray-backing studios include Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Lions Gate and Warner Home Video.

Magazines targeted in the effort include all of the A/V specialty publications, and mostly entertainment and sports-focused publications including Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Maxim, GQ, Fortune and others.

Handled as "a branding campaign," key retailers starting with Target and Wal-Mart are tagged at the end of the first TV spots, Marty said, but other dealers will be included as the ads continue their run.

Retailers will also be supplied with point of sale material, including informational brochures that explain the benefits of Blu-ray, 1080p and the hit movies available.

[RadientFlux]

I am not at all a supporter of HD-DVD but "I Do Blu" has to be one of the stupidest names for an ad campaign I've ever heard.

[damnwrx]

Just have HD DVD pushing up daisies!

b)

[drtysouf21]

marketing for the holidays.

[mighty_douche]

well its that time of year again! do or die, ive yet to see a single ad for HD-DVD, i havent even seen a transformer ad with HD on it.

[resistance100]

i still prefer

'Entertainment like.no.other'

But hey 'I do blu' is actually really catchy

[Leord]

Heh, it just seems so desperate, rather than anything else.

[ruibing]

Yep, and HD-DVD just having another price cut with their cheapest consumer model (can't even output 1080i) down to $199 just shows that the DVD Forum (supporter of HD-DVD) is full of confidence.

[mirroredderorrim]

Desperate? I think Toshiba and Paramount have set the tone for desperation in terms of the Hi-Def format wars. :)

Before you label Blu-Ray camp "desperate" Think about how they have been leaning back while HD-DVD camp makes their movies, bought Paramounts exclusivity for 150mil for a measly 18 months. (they could have made that back on Blu-Ray transformers sales, alone)

Have made similar offers to Warner Bros. and Lionsgate in the past.
Lower their players to below the magic $200.

Openly bash Blu-Ray camp in numerous interviews.
Pressure stores to hold HD-DVD; using buly tactics such as Microsofts infamous "sell HD-DVD or we won't be supplying you with vista" technique.

Blu-Ray will probably win this format war, even if the win is shortcumbed by DVD and or "dowloading"

[PimpHandHappy]

.......

[PimpHandHappy]

why does it seem desperate? This is what companys do. You didnt hear PS3ppl say MS must be desperate for putting Master Chief on Burger King cups....

once again anything Sony does is looked down on by fanboys who dont see the bigger picture..

and that picture includes blueray

[snoop_dizzle]

you forgot about the burger king games as well.

[snoop_dizzle]

.. just really conry. Just like when i hear people on this site say play b3yond or jump in.

[DJ]

But at least it's funny. =P Hopefully the Blu-ray racks at stores are gonna stick with the "Higher Definition" slogan.

[Lightning Mr Bubbles]

just pretend that "blu" is the name of some super cool girl or something.

[coltsfreak18]

haha. not exactly the most creative slogan, but it is better than hd-dvds nothing.

[Lightning Mr Bubbles]

*They match prices of stand alone HD DVD players
* Warner goes Blu ray exclusive

This crap is weak.

[IdontTakeSides]

"I DO BLU"

dude Blu-Ray don't need to drop there prices to match stand alone HD-DVD players..WHY..??

They have outsold them 2:1 all year long..and with alot of great exclusives coming this holiday season I dont see that changing...

And who knows what the Blu-Ray camp has they may just introduce a cheaper player...

[Danman35]

Well You put a good fight... wait no you didn't

[PStriple703]

I just got spiderman 3!

[mighty_douche]

what you doing on here then? :)

[Antiomo]

I got the trilogy

32-25 bucks for spiderman 3 only ...... or 69 for all 3 lol very tough decision.

[darthv72]

If blu is doing so well, why are they acting like they are scared sh!tle$$? They have nothing to worry about considering they are outselling HDDVD 2:, 3:1, 4:1 5:1 6:1 depending on territory. Crap you see a post or two about a $200 hddvd player and blu stories come out of the woodwork like crazy.

Consumer acceptance is not going to take hold this holiday for either format. Not while there are upscaling dvd players going for less than $50. sure upscaling doesnt compare to truHD but I have seen boxes from RCA and Emerson and Sony with the phrases of "makes your standard DVD's play at 1080i/p".

As long as consumers are content with prices for std movies and players that offer "almost the same" quality for their tv's then both formats have the potential of failure.

[Shaka2K6]

Warner is going Blu exclusive soon.

[FirstknighT]

Sounds like an 8 year old invented that.

[mighty_douche]

dude... this has nothing to do with the 360, you dont have to support everything microsoft does you know...

seriously now, i want to know, if bill gates called you up on a holy M$ war would you go? or would your mum wanna know where you were going?

[FirstknighT]

Who's talking about the 360??? Not me. Hell, I own a Samsung blu ray player. But that ad campaign sounds like it was made from the teletubbies. But I can see this childish ad campaign work for a childish mind like yourself.

[darthv72]

Both formats are so desperate for consumer acceptance that they are resorting to giving away not 5 but 7 movies each. I really don't remember regular DVD being this dramatic when it was up against VHS.