3DS vs DS: Battle of the TV ads

Generation Media asks how much TV marketing Nintendo has used to promote the 3DS compared to the original DS – and has it been effective?

With the Nintendo 3DS having sold more worldwide in its first year of release than the original DS, we look at how TV advertising has contributed to its success.

The chart below represents the cumulative number of individual TVRs that Nintendo DS campaigns achieved in the following years: 2005 (UK?launch year for DS) and 2011 (UK launch year for 3DS). A?TVR, or Television Rating, is the measure of popularity for a program or ad by comparing its audience to the population. One TVR is equivalent to one per cent of a target audience.

For both launches, TV ads began in March with similar levels of activity. In 2005 the campaign achieved 313 TVRs, with 304 TVRs achieved in 2011.

From April onwards, 2011’s strategy vastly differs. Where Nintendo supported the DS only during launch month, the 3DS has been supported through the year.

In total, the 3DS campaign has actually recorded 250 per cent more TVRs than the original DS.