3dfx Launches $20 Million Consumer Marketing Campaign

3dfx launched a $20 million worldwide consumer brand marketing campaign designed to lead company into the broader consumer entertainment marketplace. The company's far-reaching efforts include the unveiling of a new corporate identity and product packaging, a comprehensive and targeted advertising campaign, and the launch of a new 3dfx Web site timed to coincide with the introduction of the first 3dfx-branded retail products, Voodoo3. In conjunction with the worldwide brand marketing campaign -- representing an investment of $20 million in the first half of 1999 -- 3dfx also unveiled a new corporate logo. In a first for the 3D graphics category, 3dfx will combine print and Internet advertising with a television ad campaign aimed at drawing game and entertainment consumers to the 3dfx brand. The worldwide advertising campaign targets men, 18-34 years old, but was developed to be broad enough to appeal to a more general mainstream consumer. Using the tag line, "So powerful, it's kind of ridiculous," the advertising campaign uses humor to promote the power and performance of the award-winning 3dfx chip technology. Three new television commercials are scheduled to begin airing March 19 on select networks including, MTV, Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, and USA Network, as well as prime time spot broadcasts including the NCAA "March Madness" tournament on CBS. Additionally, a print ad campaign will begin appearing in the April issues of gaming, computer, and lifestyle publications such as PC Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Computer Gaming World, and Details. The campaign features ads that appeal to the target audience of young men, and once again use humor to convey the importance of "a billion operations a second" 3dfx chip to deliver the most compelling and realistic 3D game experience. An online component completes the comprehensive advertising initiative and will consist of banner buys, interstitials and portals on leading gaming and consumer online sites, such as The Zone, IGN, Comedy Central, ESPN, CNN/SI, and GameSpy. The Internet ads for the more mainstream sites will introduce the category and concept of 3D entertainment more broadly, whereas the game sites include more product-specific information. The company also announced its new packaging that breaks from the industry mold and establishes brand value and positioning primarily through high-impact photography. 3dfx Interactive's breakthrough approach aims at removing the abundance of text and imagery that the company feels clutter today's product packaging. As a result, consumers will see a bright new look from 3dfx. The company will be introducing a new packaging scheme -- cleaner, easier to read packaging and a redesigned logo that reflects the company's evolution into visual entertainment. The new logo encourages consumers to associate the company with the high-growth potential of visual computing applications. 3dfx will round out its marketing campaign with the launch of a new website, designed for customers. The site itself has been redesigned to track with the new corporate identity and, more importantly, to cater to the needs of customers via new sections of the site devoted to gamers, retail products, PC/OEM partners, and product use and installation tips. In April, customers will also be able to use the personalization capabilities of the site to customize their visits to track with individual needs and interests. Conversely, 3dfx will be able to communicate relevant product or company information directly to the customers based on their personalization profile. 3dfx hopes this new tool will enable better two-way communication between the company and its customers.