Sony spends big on Take That

Sony is to spend a whopping 1.5 million in the UK to ensure SingStar: Take That becomes the biggest karaoke game of the year, MCV can reveal.

The title – which was released last Friday for PS3 and PS2 – will enjoy extensive TV, print and online advertising, supported by a national radio campaign and promotions with the band itself.

A two-week TV campaign has already begun, with key spots secured during family entertainment and music programming such as The X Factor. This will be complemented by a fortnight of advertising in national press and lifestyle magazines.

A heavyweight online campaign will target Take That fans through key entertainment and music sites, including Spotify, Last FM, Time Out, Metro and Facebook. There will also be a three-week national radio campaign across the Heart Network, Magic and Key 103.

With Take That’s mass-market appeal, we are confident that SingStar: Take That will fly off the shelves,” said product manager Lucy Duncan. As the home market for Take That, we have a number of marketing and PR initiatives planned with the band.”

Take That will be special guests at the SingStar: Take That Extravaganza on November 25th – an event set up to support the Body & Soul charity. The band will pick a winner of a competition, who will then perform at the show.

The Extravaganza will be a homage to all things Take That and will feature celebrity SingStar: Take That performances,” Duncan explained. 350 tickets went on sale to the public, with all proceeds going to Body & Soul, and sold out in just 20 minutes.”

Other karaoke titles released this Q4 include Nordic’s We Sing, Mindscape’s U-Sing, Microsoft’s Lips No.1 Hits and Sony’s own SingStar: Motown.