Sega Ties With Consumer Giants to Promote Fall PC Games Lineup

Business Wire, Sept 24, 1997

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 1997--Sega Entertainment Inc. (SEI) has signed joint promotional deals with a number of leading consumer products companies as part of its fall marketing strategy to sell PC games to the mass market buyer.

SEI's promotional partners include Hershey's, March of Dimes and Compaq Computer Corp., resulting in millions of impressions through on-package offers, point-of-purchase displays and co-op advertising for consumer products sold nationwide.

"The partnership between candy bars and computer games indicates that PC gaming is now a mass market product category," said Jill Braff, director of marketing, SEI. "These lifestyle-marketing campaigns enable us to reach our target buyers through a range of product tie-ins that directly correlate to the demographics of the new PC gaming audience."

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEWS:

Hershey's is Sweet on Sega

Hershey's is offering an exclusive Sonic the Hedgehog PC Sampler of four great Sega games, including "Sonic CD," "Sonic & Knuckles," "Sonic's Schoolhouse" and "Garfield." The offer will appear on 10 million six packs of Milk Chocolate, Almond, Reese's, Nutrageous, Kit Kat and Peppermint Patty products. The program runs Aug. 1 - Dec. 31 and will be supported by point-of-purchase materials, including coupon tear pads.

March of Dimes Offers Free PC Games

The 1 million sponsors and participants supporting the "Rebel with a Cause" race, the largest motorcycle charity event on the East Coast, will receive coupons for free copies of SEI's arcade racing game "Daytona USA Deluxe." This promotion was coordinated by B&N Cos., a promotional premium company focusing on software out of Atlanta. Running from September through December, the promotion will benefit the "healthy baby" programs.

Compaq and Sega Go "Mad About You"

Compaq's "Go Mad with Compaq and Go Mad with Savings" program, co-sponsored by Sega Entertainment, gives people who buy any Compaq Presario computer up to $50 in savings on great Sega PC games plus an exclusive "Mad About You" music CD. Consumers can save $10 off each of the top-selling Sega PC games this fall: "Virtua Fighter 2," "Worldwide Soccer," "Sonic 3D Blast," "Manx TT SuperBike" and "Daytona USA Deluxe."

Compaq's comprehensive promotional program runs Aug. 28 - Oct. 31, 1997. In-store POP displays, print advertising and co-op radio spots will build awareness.

Sega Entertainment's fall marketing plan also includes a print advertising campaign which kicks off in October developed by award- winning Foote, Cone & Belding. PC products supported in the campaign include "Manx TT SuperBike," "NBA Action '98," "Enemy Zero," "Last Bronx," "Daytona USA Deluxe" and "Sonic 3D Blast."

The campaign theme is completely integrated with the look and feel of Sega of America's console advertising using the "Sega: Hard Stuff" tag line and offering the most sought-after information among gamers -- cheat codes.

Sega Entertainment was founded in April 1996, and aims to bring 3-D polygon-based action/arcade, racing and sports gaming to the PC. Leveraging Sega's arcade leadership and library of game content, the company is committed to redefining the PC gaming experience with titles featuring high frame rates, 3-D characters and environments, high polygon counts, detailed texture mapping, multiplayer online gaming and emotion-triggered gameplay that is unmatched by competing PC games.

Sega Entertainment was formed through a joint venture between Sega of America and SOFTBANK Holdings Inc.

CONTACT: Sega Entertainment Inc.

Dan Stevens, 650/802-3996

or

Access Communications

Jennifer Walker, 415/904-7070 ext. 283

jwalker@accesspr.com