Sega’s biggest ever marketing campaign, for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, has kicked up a gear in the build up to Christmas.

The firm has sponsored the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park with a branded ice rink and a game sampling area – with a total of two million visitors expected to play the game at the event before it closes on January 4th.

Mario & Sonic is also sponsoring GMTV/Toonattik until January 10th 2010 with a series of ads between shows.

This joins Sega’s main three-month TV campaign, which features extensive advertising around high rating shows including The X Factor, Coronation Street and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

On top of this the publisher has begun a shopping mall advertising blitz that will run up until Christmas, which includes posters and HD digital screens in key locations.

The firm’s cinema campaign is also still on-going, with 30-second spots set to appear before upcoming kids blockbuster Where The Wild Things Are.

“We are delighted with the success of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, which has sold through over a quarter of a million units to date,” Sega’s UK MD John Clark told MCV.

“Last week saw sales increase 24 per cent week-on-week as our Christmas campaign launched and with the increase in marketing activity – such as winter wonderland, GMTV/Toonattik sponsorship and outdoor advertising alongside our already existing TV and cinema campaign – we are confident that this trend will continue with consumers seeing Mario & Sonic as a must-have Christmas purchase.’’

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games hit shelves on October 9th, and has been a mainstay in the ChartTrack Top 10 ever since.

Ahead of its launch, Sega’s UK MD John Clark told MCV that he feels the title is a good contender to be 2009’s Christmas No.1 game.