To celebrate the launch of its new game “Punchout,” Nintendo took its Wii gaming console off of the TV and onto the streets. Wii brand ambassadors were in urban centres all last week, projecting the boxing game onto walls of buildings and offering pedestrians a chance to play the game. Each night the teams visited high-traffic, nightlife-filled neighbourhoods such as Toronto’s Annex district. The game was projected from a vehicle with large branded flags, creating a super sized screen, 15- x 40-feet. The live demo campaign was created by Grassroots Advertising and media agency Starcom. Michael Gillissie, vice-president of sales and operations for Grassroots, said the campaign was designed to create a longer lasting impression than the traditional out of home ads. “We’re able to tune out so much now. It’s amazing what people can ignore,” said Gillissie. “We try to bring interaction and engagement to the out of home space.” The demos also catch the eye of pedestrians who don’t participate, he said, acting as a billboard that has come to life. That kind of connection tends to generate word-of-mouth buzz as participants and passersby tell their friends and family about the demo. Wii teams held four to five hour demos every night in Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. This article provided courtesy of Marketing Magazine