Kinect marketing spend = $500m

The New York Post is reporting that Microsoft is spending $500m on what it calls a major movie-style marketing blitz” to accompany the launch of Kinect next month.

The wide-reaching campaign will touch on all manner of sectors including TV, online, print, food and drink. Partners include Disney, Nickelodeon, Burger King, ABC, Pepsi and Kellogg’s. Kinect will also take over YouTube’s home page upon its US launch on November 4th.

NYP adds that even Hollywood movie mogul Steven Spielberg has been involved in the planning.

Around 7,000 nationwide midnight openings are scheduled for the US market, with big numbers also expected to throw open their doors at midnight in the UK come November 10th.

Kinect is the largest, most integrated marketing initiative in Xbox history, bigger than [the Xbox 360’s] launch,” general manager of global marketing communications at Xbox Robert Matthews stated.

We are going to be spending millions to launch this globally.”

And as has been pointed out by many outlets, Microsoft has also pledged to support the launch of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 with a bumper $400m marketing spend.