Support NeoGAF

[Eddie-Griffin]

https://www.shots.net/news/view/xbox-launches-nowstalgia-campaign

Entering an established core community like Xbox can feel daunting, so to welcome new players to the Xbox Series S this holiday season, Xbox created a campaign all about the nostalgic memories Gen Z will create playing their favourite games on the console…before they’ve actually made them. They call it “Nowstalgia.”

To give us all “Nowstalgia,” Xbox created a series of ads that treat playing your favourite games on the Xbox Series S in the style of the classic toy ads from Gen Z’s childhood. To launch the campaign, Xbox created a custom Xbox Series S in the style of a classic talking Plushie toy to star in its own commercial. Of course, every talking Plushie needs a human best friend. And the Game With Me Series S found one in actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang. In the film, Yang finds an unlikely friend in the talking plushie version of the Xbox Series S who comes to life on his couch with a very specific purpose.

Xbox also created a limited run of physical Game with Me Series S Plushies that will be sent out to a variety of gaming and pop culture influencers. Each Plushie comes in a collectable graphic box just like a real talking toy. When squeezed, each Plushie will come to life on its influencer’s channel by delivering a personalized message crafted for its chosen influencer.

In addition to the Game With Me hero film, Xbox is bringing the “Nowstalgic” feelings of playing Fall Guys and Overwatch 2 to fans in a series of short social videos, reminiscent of the toy commercials players saw in their youth. Each spot showcases the experience of playing games such as Fall Guys and Overwatch 2 on the Xbox Series S, built especially to give Gen Z the nostalgic feeling they love for a console that they haven’t even bought yet.

Xbox also partnered with social action figure photographer @PlasticAction, aka Jax Navarro, to create custom “Nowstalgia” hero stills for Falls Guys, Rocket League, Forza Horizon 5, Overwatch 2, and Minecraft. Each still brings the fun of the IP to life through crafted miniature sets, toy props, and cinematic photography. These stills will be featured on Jax’s own channels as well as Xbox’s owned and operated channels and across an OOH buy in Los Angeles.

Link to ad, http://d1wg0t3wq54w1o.cloudfront.net/download/c9e74.mp4?Expires=1672561099&Signature=IhTgutTfrDo-eL~qNx9ceTWOAiqdVyhNadsTXIwXmNVq4O9YmaiS8WGvPeHupVYtAuLDdw1zAKF2DrOmS0DIkfzNc-~gI6FPn1cYqzctoeKXYCzlwt18otRbJmQ2-JhoFYhnQ~mUu4gbpR9pgYXs7yviU3W~x1VJ1DAVyDPimnI_&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIXFHSDM5XXLBZMWA

Update, Link dead here is the Youtube upload,




wow.

I'm not sure what Phil and Xbox are up to here, but a talking Series S plushy to sell consoles to Gen Z is definitely a unique strategy at least, maybe doesn't make much sense but unique.

Photos from ad, click link to view the commercial videos,

Might be the strangest modern gaming commercial I've ever seen.

Apparently Microsoft is going to give away plushies to influencers, but for some reason not for sales in the gear store, where they sell hoodies for your controller.

I don't quite understand the marketing strategy here but like I said it's unique, I'll give it that. Poor guy looks scared shitless when the Series S creepily comes toward him, lol.

 

[64bitmodels]

this is bringing back 2012 vibes... and not in a good way either

 

[bentanchorbolt]

I haven’t seen a commercial in like a decade.

 

[TheGodfather07]

Microsoft trying to outdo sonys early PS3 ads. During that time Microsoft were on fire with their marketing for 360 and their exclusive games. Even 3rd party wise they had ads for games like GTA IV and call of duty 4. I remember seeing 360 everywhere.

 

[feynoob]

Dude give us update of starfield, not this shit.

 

[Unknown?]

This is worse than those PS3 baby commercials.

 

[diffusionx]

Zoomers really do be like that

 

[LordOfChaos]

Nani the fuck?

 

[Valedix]

I died of cringe

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Rofl I completely misread the title and had to do a double take. This is what I read initially:

"Featuring a gamer making friends with a talking Xbox Series S plushy coming to life on his crotch."​

​

Okay back to your normal programming.​

 

[AJUMP23]

I'm sure it will appear to the target audience.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Nope. I am not the target with that ad.

 

[The Pleasure]

Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?

 

[ryzen1]

What is happening to the Xbox brand...holy fuck

 

[remember_spinal]

They’re just spending money to spend it at this point

 

[Hip Hop]

Microsoft trying to outdo sonys early PS3 ads. During that time Microsoft were on fire with their marketing for 360 and their exclusive games. Even 3rd party wise they had ads for games like GTA IV and call of duty 4. I remember seeing 360 everywhere.

I want to go back to 2008 tbh.

 

[TheGodfather07]

I want to go back to 2008 tbh.

Tell me about it. If only we could just turn back time once.

 

[K' Dash]

I want to go back to 2008 tbh.

Early 2000 for me, thanks.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Majestic!

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I want that plushy !!!!

 

[Pasta la Vista]

That is a very descriptive title.

 

[Spukc]

this is bringing back 2012 vibes... and not in a good way either

TV

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Microsoft trying to outdo sonys early PS3 ads. During that time Microsoft were on fire with their marketing for 360 and their exclusive games. Even 3rd party wise they had ads for games like GTA IV and call of duty 4. I remember seeing 360 everywhere.

Yeah that's what I was thinking; these feel like early PS3 era ads which felt like early Sega Saturn NA ads.

 

[ANIMAL1975]

Is this to grab gen z or kids? What tf is gen z by the way lol

Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?

 

[Beer Baelly]

Xbox and woke shit. Terrible.

 

[Ash Sparrow]

They know what Japenese like.

 

[Dis]

I heard that by the end of 20xx
Xx% of women will be single and childless

And so people are investing in wine, cats etc

Is this the same thing?

 

[Yoboman]

Milennials having no ideanhow to talk to Gen Z is endlessly amusing to me, as a milennial

 

[TheTony316]

What is happening to the Xbox brand...holy fuck

Back to the Kinect days.

 

[Thebonehead]

They should bring back marketing like this .

 

[Heisenberg007]

They know what Japenese like.

PlayStation and Nintendo?

it's a joke, guys!

 

[Victor Omega]

Imagine your nostalgia is fall guys, fortnite and rocket league.

Also, aren't Gen Z still young? nostalgia marketing shouldn't really start so early.

 

[Ash Sparrow]

PlayStation and Nintendo?

it's a joke, guys!

Well Nintendo, cant argue with that!
Badabing!

 

[Robb]

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

What about giving us some nostalgic Xbox/360 era games and excitement?

 

[Dr.D00p]

Has Don Mattrick re-entered the building?

 

[nowhat]

I'm sure it will appear to the target audience.

Appear, yes. Appeal, not so sure.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Seems fine for these weirdo kids...

 

[Drizzlehell]

That's the nerdy dude from that movie Love Hard.

He's the new Justing Long.

 

[Thebonehead]

 

[Ronin_7]

This is worse than those PS3 baby commercials.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

 

[Lucifers Beard]

I honestly don’t think they know what they’re doing over there. Bizarre.

 

[Chukhopops]

This thread:

You know this XSS plushie is going to be sold on the MS Store in the coming weeks.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

So many old men in this thread

 

[phaedrus]

Rofl I completely misread the title and had to do a double take. This is what I read initially:

"Featuring a gamer making friends with a talking Xbox Series S plushy coming to life on his crotch."​

​

Okay back to your normal programming.​

 

[Midn1ght]

What did I just watch?

 

[jufonuk]

Xbox ad execs

 

[Banjo64]

Cute plushy, safe bland dialogue.

 

[Jennings]

I need boobstalgia, gimmie those kickass 80s-90s styled ads featuring elite gamer babes.