Kotaku: Promotions

Madden Munchies Find a Winning Flavor and Stick With It

Owen Good — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EDT

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Following a breakout rookie year, "Stadium Nacho," the Madden NFL Dorito flavor, returns for a sophomore campaign on grocery shelves. There's free stuff in the bag, too. More »

Col. Sanders Phantasy Star Screens Are Phinger-Lickin' Good

Owen Good — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Back in September we learned that Col. Harland Sanders would be appearing in Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan. We now have five screengrabs of his secret recipe in action. More »

Star Trek Online Boldly Goes To Del Taco

Mike Fahey — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:20:00 EST

Atari teams with Del Taco to deliver free trial-laden limited-edition Star Trek Online collector's cups, with a free Type-8 Shuttle pet for those opting to supersize to the full game. More »

Star in Your Own N64 Freakout Kid Video

Owen Good — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST

GameStop's holiday promo puts you in the feeted jammies of the infamous Nintendo 64 Freakout Kid. Or puts your face over his. Anyway, the point is they expect you to react this way to any gift bought from their store. More »

Wal-Mart Promotes Madden With Razorblades And Roses

Mike Fahey — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:40:00 EDT

It may sound like the title of a bad goth poem, but razorblades and roses are just two elements in Wal-Mart's promotional blitz for Madden 10. More »

Scenes From A Nintendo DS Massage Spa

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:00:15 EST

Nintendo has been putting the "touch" back in Touch Generations over the past week at a handful of North American malls. It's been gently caressing weary shoppers and wooing them with Nintendo DS games. More »

Slurpee Rocks Out With Guitar Hero

Mike Fahey — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:20:00 EDT

As a certified Slurpee addict, the press release for the massive May cross-promotion for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the Xbox 360, and 7-Eleven's Full Throttle Frozen Blast Slurpee initially read "blah blah Slurpee blah Slurpee for Fahey" until I read through it a couple more times. 7-Eleven, Microsoft, and Activison are teaming up for a massive May PR blitz for the upcoming game and the new Slurpee flavor, where lucky consumers within range of Slurpee goodness will be able to purchase special cups with codes that can be redeemed via Xbox Live for Microsoft points, with chances to win copies of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith every hour of the month. 10 winners will also be receiving an Xbox 360 console along with their GH: A. Along with the contest, 7-Eleven will be strategically placing giant Guitar Hero poster tear-off pads, while media vans featuring 6 by 12 foot video screens with playable versions of the game will be touring store locations. Guitar Hero cups may just be a sign that it is time for my annual Slurpee road trip to the closest 7-Eleven to Atlanta, some 300 miles away. *sigh* More »

GameStop Announces Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

Mike Fahey — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:20:00 EDT

It is a sad day when I have to find out about a new Spider-Man game from a blurry photo of a GameStop sales circular. Kotokuite ReidP snapped this shot of the in-store ad for the "just announced" game, complete with Bioshock-ish link to a not-yet-active website where you can vote for which gift you receive for preordering the game. I'd expect official word from Activision any moment now on how they are going to maintain the Spider-Man license's downward spiral. In the meantime, I'd go for t-shirt. Figurines get lost, posters tear, but t-shirts are forever, or at least until the pits rot out. More »

The Spiderwick Chronicles, Amazon Video...

Khoi Pham | ph15h — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:19:45 EDT

The Spiderwick Chronicles, Amazon Video Games Deal of the Day Plunge deep into a fantasy world full of mystical creatures when you join the Grace children on their quest to discover the secrets of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Based on Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Films' movie adaptation of the best-selling book series, the video game lets players take on the roles of Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace as they enter the hidden world of the unseen. Play as all three Grace siblings, each with unique abilities, along with Thimbletack the Brownie, whose small size allows players to discover the inner passages of the enchanted Spiderwick home. Deal of the Day price available for Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360 only on March 13, 2008.

RedOctane Wants You To Play Music

Mark Wilson — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:40:22 EST

The story doesn't seem like a big deal: RedOctane partners with NAMM (the giant International Music Products Association) to promote music awareness and creation in the "Wanna Play?" campaign. Big whoop, right? But when you realize that RedOctane is NAMM's first ever video game industry partner, the story's significance shifts a bit. In partnering for cross promotional events and kiosks, not only is NAMM acknowledging RedOctane's ability to recruit youngsters to play music (and buy real instruments), they are also publicly acknowledging RedOctane's (and Guitar Hero's) legitimate seat at the giant table that is the musical world. It's like they're holding hands in public or something and NAMM is totally cool with it. More »

Magazine Offering Exclusive Everquest II Download

Mark Wilson — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:40:17 EST

In their issue hitting stands the week of November 28th, Massive Online Gamer magazine will be offering a code that can be redeemed for a limited edition Everquest II item—a portrait of warlord Venril Sathir. But for those with ants in their pants, new online subscribers can get the code emailed immediately upon writing that check. Not being Everquest II players, we can't really assess the importance or value of such a downloadable good. But it's a clever marketing strategy on MOG's part. While reading Kotaku, our readers are sometimes gifted with free syphilis, but the promotion hasn't been all that well received. More »

Spyro Invades Wendy's Kid's Meals

Mike Fahey — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:20:01 EDT

Wendy's is a restaurant I hardly ever visit unless it is the only thing on a long stretch of highway in the middle of nowhere, but as soon as I read the press release regarding the new Spyro the Dragon toys in the fast food chain's Kid's Meals, I immediately hopped into the Faheymobile and set off on a grand adventure. The toys include the Sparx Flyer, Flapping Spyro, a Spyro Keychain, Spyro Checkers and Ruby Reveal, all released as part of a four week promotion for The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night for the Wii, DS, GBA, and PS2. The bag even includes a $5 coupon off any version of the game at GameStop! I was so excited could barely contain myself as I pulled up to the drive-thru, ordering myself a chicken nugget kid's meal with a boyish giggle in my voice. Once money had changed hands I drove off, reaching into the bag to reveal...a stuffed giraffe. Okay, so maybe not all stores have the promotion yet, but they will, and I'll get sick of Wendy's food all over again! More »

Snag Manaphy At Toys R Us Saturday

Mike Fahey — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:30:37 EDT

Those of you who follow Pokemon fanatically know what a bitch it is to get your hands on a Manaphy, the legendary water Pokemon who can only be found via an egg transferred from Pokemon Ranger. Well kotakuite Agies has informed us that this Saturday from 12-3PM, Toys R Us stores around the country are offering the rare critter via in-store download, along with $5 off any DS game you buy when you stop by to continue your catching of them all. Otherwise you either have to trade or suffer through Pokemon Ranger, which is considered in some countries an advanced form of torture. More »

Wii Versus Halo 3 At Dover

Mike Fahey — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:30:07 EDT

This weekend at the Dover Speedyway, it isn't a battle of Ford versus Dodge. It's not #16's Greg Biffle versus #40's David Stremme. This is a battle between the Wii and Halo 3. Last week we told you about the Halo 3 car that would be racing at the Nextel Cup preview event, but Nintendo dropped us a line to let us know that more than one gaming property would be represented on the track. I see one of two things happening here. Either the Halo 3 car will start early and be disqualified, or the Wii driver's steering wheel will slip out of his hands and he'll end up with his car stuck in the Halo car's windshield. More »

Dewy's Adventure Promotes Healthy Marketing

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:00:18 EDT

It seems sort of odd to me to have a video game cross-promotion that encourages you to injest the friends and loved ones of the game's protagonist, but that's exactly what Konami and Nestle Waters North America are doing with the "Green With Envy" campaign, which pairs up young Dewy the water droplet with Aquapod Natural Spring Water for kids. A nationwide contest and sweepstakes is being launched that could net health-conscious families an 'eco-adventure' to Costa Rica and copies of the game itself. Behind the sweepstakes is a multi-million dollar print, internet, radio, television, and in-store advertising campaign to help deliver a health message to children and of course, sell video games. Dewy art is appearing as we speak on bottles of Poland Spring, Deer Park, Zephyrhills, Ozarka and Ice Mountain ~~tap~~ spring water. If I were in charge that would involve the titular character proudly proclaiming, "I Keep Your Innards Moist!", which is why I was never allowed to play in any marketeer games. *sniffs* More »

PlayStation AM JAM Rewards Extremism

Mike Fahey — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:20:30 EDT

The 4th Annual PlayStation AM JAM started back in March of this year, hosting events across the country to find the best of the best in extreme sports (at least the more acceptable ones) The events were spread across 11 cites, with almost 900 contestants signing up to prove their skills in skateboarding, inline skating, and BMX. The tournament culminated in a showdown at Camp Woodward, the premier action sports training camp in the country. More »

Live Wii Ads

Kim Phu — Fri, 25 May 2007 12:30:00 EDT

Anyone living in the UK planning on seeing a movie this weekend, be warned: you maybe subjected to a new form of three-dimensional advertising that will actually be worse than the stupid Hollywood trivia questions they put up that have the in a corner upside-down. More »

Mario Strikers Gets Father and Son Promotion

Kim Phu — Thu, 17 May 2007 13:40:00 EDT

Ian Wright and son, Shaun Wright-Phillips have signed on to promote Mario Strikers Charged Football in the UK. Both men are well-known in England for their footy talents and will promoting the game in different ways. Shaun will be featured in a television commercial for the game where he will show off the online attributes of the upcoming Wii game. His dad, Ian, will be making an appearance at GAME on Oxford street on the European launch date (May 25th) to play against people in store and sign autographs. More »

Nintendo's New Prez

egauger — Thu, 25 May 2006 19:40:00 EDT

Nintendo reports that the Wii is spurring some promotions within Nintendo. Fanboy idol Reginald "Reggie" Fils-Aime is the new president of Nintendo of America, with Tatsumi Kimishima moving on to a CEO and chairman-of-the-board position. Says current Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: More »