Microsoft certainly knows how to pander to its core audience, even if they are perpetuating the stereotype of video game geeks living off of Doritos and Mountain Dew. Still, it’s all in good fun. The idea is a time honored stereotype, and it’s not like Microsoft hasn’t exploited it before.
PepsiCo are throwing their weight behind Halo 4 in a move that flashes back to Halo 3‘s wonderful build-up. Those emotional commercials in the “Believe” campaign and Master Chief planted on just bout every billboard and Subway in New York City. Remember those days? I would go so far as to say the hype was more fun than the actual game itself, even if that Game Fuel was absolutely disgusting.
It’s hard to believe I was on the verge of graduating from college at the time. Maybe it’s because I’m far away, stuck in Japan, butI don’t quite feel the same level of hype surrounding this one. Well, maybe Halo 3 supposedly being the last Halo game had something to do with the advertising blitz, but Microsoft killed that idea once they saw the game’s sales figures.
Starting October 15th, all bags of Doritos and bottles of Mountain Dew featuring the Master Chief will provide codes that will work towards Double XP in Halo 4 once the game launches on November 6th. Other prizes and maybe even DLC will be available through the campaign as well.
More information can be found at the PepsiCo’s official website. Now I’m pumped for some Halo 4 commercials, but I doubt we’ll ever see anything along the lines of the Halo 3 marketing this time around, or ever again. I wonder if those guys ever got a medal for their efforts. Good times.
