GTA IV

Marketing Marketing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwcLwN6wpcc&feature=related

Welcome to Liberty City, where the only dirty word is hope

Aims

• To discover ways in which GTA IV was promoted to target audience.

• Discuss the effectiveness of the marketing campaign.

• Apply understanding of advertising techniques and strategies to a game you have designed.

Activity

Your task is to create a mind map of the marketing techniques used to promote GTA IV.

For each method write about why this method was used and think about how it attracted the target audience.

The more colourful the better!!!!!

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/30226/Microsofts-GTA-marketing-push-as-big-as-Halo-3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMr43kdRiSg

The first trailer was released on 29 March 2007

Trailer 2

Looking for someone special trailer [released 28/6/07]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nr7dDyUUgI

Trailers

• Move up, ladies [released 6/12/07] • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMr43kdRiSg

• Trailer 4, Everyone’s a Rat [released 27/3/08]• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9rh5gV_dro

• Up to 13 teaser trailers were released introducing characters and places.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdkEwObpriQ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnseF_88Rig

Teaser trailers

• Teasers trailers were released between 8th February – 25th April 2008.

TV Commercial

• On 4 April 2008, a commercial was released, showing Niko walking towards the camera in many areas, from a prison to an airport. The main purpose of the video is to showcase both the realistic environments and the fluid walking animation of the main character.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZ8b75w6vM

Official Website• On 8 February 2008, Rockstar Games launched the official Grand

Theft Auto IV website with previously unseen content from the game.• The site introduces itself with a view of the Liberty City skyline and

"Welcome to Liberty City" followed by numerous slogans, for example "Come and visit! You'll be desperate to leave" and "The American dream? It's time to wake up"The main content is split into three sections: People and Places, Recreation and Entertainment, and Goods and Services.

• The new website features new teaser trailers and several images of in-game characters and locations, as well as a basic outline of the map of Liberty City.

• There are several advertisements for in-game products and services including a dating site, a mobile phone company, and the return of the drink, Sprunk, which was also featured in the previous game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

• Buddy Icons

Wallpaper

MySpace Theme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcWwK10i5M

Viral Marketing

• Wanted posters of the characters from the game.

• On the poster the email address of the Liberty City police department.

Stickers and graffiti

Activity

• You have been asked to design a new episode for GTA IV. You must create a new name and tag line for your game.

• Your task is to create an effective advertising campaign to promote your product.

• You must also create a game cover which which sell the USP of the product and appeal to the target audience.