As if Peer Pressure Isn’t Bad Enough . . .

Advertiser: Nintendo of America

Agency: Leo Burnett, Chicago

Challenge: Develop advertising for the Nintendo 64 game system that is suitable for youngsters but still relevant to teenagers.

The Ads: Commercials in this pre-holiday campaign are shot in music video style, cutting back and forth from images of cool-looking kids to close-ups of video games. The voice-over hints that Nintendo 64 is the system cool kids are playing. “You know who’s in control. . . . You know who breaks the barrier. . . . You know who feels the freedom. . . . You know who stands out in the crowd.” Nintendo’s new slogan sums up the message in the form of a challenge: “Get N or Get Out.”

Comments: Nintendo said its new slogan was in part inspired by focus group research that revealed its “N” was as recognizable among boys between the ages of 9 and 17 as the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s arches. Kids already think Nintendo 64 is cool; it’s a shame Nintendo didn’t stop there. It’s one thing to argue that your game system is cool. It’s another to tell kids they aren’t cool if they don’t have one. $

*

Ads are rated from $ to $$$$, based on tastefulness and probable effectiveness, with $$$$ being the highest.