PlayStation: Summer of PSP

Amplify worked in partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment UK to create a PSP brand experience in the form of a Summer Bus tour.  The aim of the tour was to drive awareness of the PSP 3000 and the new colour range available whilst also providing a platform to showcase the latest software titles.  The activity provided the experiential arm to PlayStation’s ‘Summer of PSP’ campaign and raised awareness of the website, where both parents and children were invited to take part in a series of mini games in return for the chance of winning a dream Summer holiday for the whole family.

The Big Idea

Choosing to avoid the traditional summer clichés, we instead asked the question: ‘How would PlayStation do Summer Holidays?’. We decided to sidestep deck chairs and candyfloss in favour of a PlayStation-owned summer bus experience, taking nods from the past and putting the PlayStation personality into them.

A traditional route master bus became an open-top kaleidoscopic playground for PSP sampling. Cliff Richard was retired in favour of Chipmunk or star attraction Sponge Bob Square Pants. We said "Hi-De-Bye" to the Red Coats in favour of cool older brother and sister figures they actually wanted to hang around. Most importantly, traditional seaside games were updated and focused on and around the PSP 3000 – whether it be having your photo taken with the PSP camera, playing games such as Harry Potter or Monster Hunter or chilling out and listening to ‘The Hoosiers’ playlist.

The Tour

Between starting out at Warwick Castle in July and finishing up at Butlins Skegness (some traditions just can’t be ignored) in early September, the bus visited the UK’s leading theme parks, including Thorpe Park, Chessington, and Drayton Manor, as well as pitching up for some festival fun at Camp Bestival and The Underage Festival. It was fair to say the bus turned heads wherever it went as it toured the UK for 32 days of sampling activity.

The Experience

After stepping on board, guests were invited to trial some of the latest gaming titles, have one-to-one PSP demonstrations with our expert demo staff and learn about the endless fun that PSP provides. Competitions were staged daily providing opportunities to win PSPs and exclusive merchandise. In addition, guests could enter the online ‘Summer of PSP’ competition using our onboard laptops, helping to significantly raise awareness and increase traffic to the site.

As a memento of their experience the PSP’s Go!Cam was put to use as guests struck a pose before having their pictures printed and placed in branded wallets for them to take away.

Mini-Mags

Amplify worked with award winning creative agency Church of London to create the tour identity and campaign design assets.  This included two mini-magazines containing PSP information that were distributed from the bus. One version was aimed at the parents of 8-12 year olds, providing useful information on the PSP and the recently announced PEGI ratings, while the other was designed with teenagers in mind. This allowed Amplify to make use of their contacts at Sony Music to include exclusive interviews with Chipmunk and The Hoosiers, sitting alongside key PSP brand and software messages.

Bespoke Experiences

To overcome the varying age range of guests at different sites, we tailored activity on the bus to best fit our audience.  From a party with SpongeBob SquarePants at Camp Bestival (I’ve never seen kids charge so quickly), to branded sunglasses and visor giveaways at Underage, we ensured that the Bus was flexible in its creative execution and a cool destination for all who visited.

The Results

Throughout the summer nearly 40,000 kids from our target audience of 8 to 15 year olds passed through the bus doors. “The best thing at the festival” and “You’ve made my year” are just a couple of quotes from visitors this summer.  To see what you think, check out our Summer of PSP video.

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