Nintendo News: Certain UK Nintendo Wii U Ad Banned from the Airwaves - Not Clear Enough Page 1 at Nintendo Cubed3

One of the Nintendo Wii U TV adverts airing in the UK has been removed from air for potentially misleading customers, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The debut advert, which has been repeated infrequently since the console's launch, will have to be replaced or edited to clarify the limitations of off-TV play.

The minute long promotion covered a range of Wii U features, but also mentioned "Someone wants to watch TV when you're halfway through a game? Do both, and everyone's happy!"

Whilst yes, the Nintendo Wii U does offer the ability to jump from TV to GamePad, not all titles use this feature nor does any original Wii software, it varies on game and publisher with a proportion of the current collection able to do so.

Nintendo "did not believe the average consumer viewing the ad would believe that the feature was available on all games", the ASA report, but feel that despite Nintendo UK's claims, the advert has to be removed from broadcast as "the ad should have made clear that this feature would not be available on all games".

I wasn't too happy when the advert first hit the airwaves - too quick, choppy and not clear enough as to what the Wii U is.

What do you think of the advert - is it clear enough? Does Nintendo Wii U advertising need a rethink?

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Azuardo on 16.01.2013 at 23:15#1

Nintendo "did not believe the average consumer viewing the ad would believe that the feature was available on all games"

I beg to differ. I was lead to believe it would be for all games when it was first announced, and for a while after, until I learnt it was game-specific. The average consumer that does not follow game news would believe the same thing, too. The marketing for Wii U has been bollocks.

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jb on 16.01.2013 at 23:20#2

I too thought that off-TV play would be available on a more native level, simply press the "TV button" on the GamePad (back when we didn't know what it does) and voila!

It's understandable that it isn't available to all games especially ones like Nintendo Land where you would need the TV for certain attractions, though.

The marketing has been utter rubbish, I've said time and time again here on C3 - where are the Wii U ads? I've only seen the one in question say 2/3 times since their aired it - a few others definitely less than ten overall. No bus or billboards, newspapers. It's really just vanished and the only people to blame are Nintendo.

( Edited 16.01.2013 22:32 by jb )

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Adam Riley on 16.01.2013 at 23:26#3

Yet another disaster by the new Nintendo UK team. Well done! *golf claps*

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NewBR (guest) on 17.01.2013 at 00:12#4

First time I've seen this one. They should have just put disclaimer text?

Cheesing it up on 17.01.2013 at 00:28#5

Surely they need to just add a couple of words?
"Say someone wants to watch TV when you're halfway through a game of Mario?"
Job's a good 'un.

Honestly though removing that add might have even been doing Nintendo a favour, seen as it was utter rubbish, and, as others have said, barely on screen anyway.

I just completed pokemon yellow! 151 pokemon seen and caught.
Surely that's worth a star?

Flynnie on 19.01.2013 at 19:55#6

They appointed a new PR and Ad agency to handle the launch and any future projects but they have let Nintendo UK down.

Being in the professional world of marketing myself i can tell you that the Wii U ads and the whole campaign is utterly poor!

jb on 19.01.2013 at 20:02#7

Flynnie said:
They appointed a new PR and Ad agency to handle the launch and any future projects but they have let Nintendo UK down. Being in the professional world of marketing myself i can tell you that the Wii U ads and the whole campaign is utterly poor!

As far as we know Nintendo UK handle their own PR inhouse at present - unsure which agency group created the ads though - the campaign really hasn't made any impact at all in the UK.

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