Posts Tagged ‘nintendo’

Every once in a while a product comes along that baffles, confounds, and makes branding folk salivate. The beyond-hot, beyond-prized, beyond-fun Nintendo Wii is one such product, and it definitely makes the grade for What Works Mondays here at Voco Creative.

First of all, as someone whose video game mojo never seemed to transcend the original NES or Sega Dreamcast, I wasn’t sure any modern-day console could make up for my lack of skills. I’m more into loopy, fantastical graphics and hysterical laughter than blood-soaked first-person shooters, and many more modern games make me woozy with their rotating cameras and fast-paced action.

The people at Nintendo must have been listening to the internal angst of women everywhere when they came up with the Wii. First, they made something that’s sleeker and more visually appealing than anything on the run-of-the-mill entertainment stand (unless you are Juli Dimos, who has made great strides in Mac-ifying her life). The Wii is slim, white, and discreet. Its controller is downright brilliant (a “Wiimote” that can be flipped, shaken, wielded like a sword or fishing rod…the list goes on). And its games have managed to bridge the crucial gender and age gaps that make the video game market so inaccessible.

But what really makes Wii work? Simple: Nintendo created a product that wasn’t just impeccably branded, but was in insanely short supply when it first made its way to American shelves. If you’ve been in the United States for the past year and half, you’ve doubtless heard some friend or family member bemoan the empty shelves in their local superstore.

The international Wii shortage may have been accidental, but it was a stroke of marketing genius. By becoming known as the red-hottest, most-in-demand console of all time, the Wii has achieved a remarkable level of public awareness in a very short period of time. It can command a relatively ridiculous price for new games and accessories, and it continues to push the envelope with games that allow collaboration between players of all ages, locations (it has a great online system that works for free via WiFi), and genders.

I’m not sure if Carmen Electra’s Wii pole dancing will take off any time soon, but I can tell you right now that Wii’s combination of accessibility and tantalizing unavailability will make games like Mario Kart Wii and WiiFit fly off the shelves.