View Full Version : Impact of early to mid 90's SEGA advertising
Perkar
10-08-2004, 04:16 PM
Last night made me realize truly how effective advertising can be. This might be a kind of lengthy story for such a simple realization, but i'm a little bored. my case in point:
So, i happened to be wearing an orange Sega Dreamcast shirt to the Flogging Molly concert i attended last night. The venue we were at, the State Theatre in Detroit, has always been General Admission Floor or General Admission Balcony... no assigned seats, just show up and get to wherever you're able to see the show. I haven't been there in almost a year, apparently they redid the whole place, new seats, new carpet, new no smoking policy, and as we were looking at our tickets (which i had assumed to be general admission balcony), we found that they were in fact assigned seats on the mezzanine. We climb up some stairs and get to the usher (they have ushers now too!), he pauses when he sees me shirt, then looks at our tickets and finds our seats for us. we get up a few minutes later to go get some drinks, walk past the usher and yet another usher who had appeared since we sat down; as we walked past... they both do the signature "SEGA" shout from the old commercials. these guys were in their mid to late 30's i'd say, and frankly i was a bit surprised (impressed?) when they did that.
It just goes to show how slogans can be permanently engrained into a persons head, and perhaps even how our thoughts can be shaped and molded to believe whatever advertisements might want us to believe.
thoughts?
Ed Oscuro
10-08-2004, 04:18 PM
Perkar played the game and beat the first level!
That's pretty awesome. I remember seeing a guy with an MGS shirt back in 2000 when I was working; I said "nice shirt!"
Respect for original game shirts > wearing a Hot Topic shirt (though you gotta go with what you have)
TheRedEye
10-08-2004, 04:55 PM
I have an original Vice: Project Doom shirt. No one can touch me.
spoon
10-08-2004, 10:44 PM
I once had a sweet NES shirt a friend had made for me.
It had a pic of the Tecmo Super Bow labell on the front.
The back said: "winning isn't everything, it's thge only thing"
Along with a pic of a busted NES controller. If you have ever played TSB with me, you would know.
Anyhow, Red Eye wins. + 25 exp points.
I would kill for a Dash Galaxy shirt.
SoulBlazer
10-08-2004, 10:55 PM
I'm not sure if I still have it, but back in middle school, circa 1988, my folks bought me a Nintendo shirt. It had the Nintendo logo and some other stuff on the front. One sleve, on the shoulder, had Super Mario 2 and the other one had Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, both of those being new and big releases in 1988. I'm sure there was stuff on the back also. Maybe someone else has this shirt?
izret101
10-08-2004, 10:59 PM
I wish i had original shirts. To bad if i did they would be WAY to small. I do have some Hot Topic shirts though so its not a complete loss.
The Sega site used to have all there old adds on thier site. I dont know why they got rid of them infavor of this new crappier site design nor do i know when they did it.
I was about 5 when the Sega scream started. And i still hear people use it alot.
I was amazed to start talking about old Sega games when i was sitting at a table of Jocks (friends from football).
Never before had they ever said anything about video games and they just happend onto the system i loved most.
They even remembered the names of all the people from Streets of Rage and Golden Axe series. X_x
Push Upstairs
10-08-2004, 11:34 PM
I simply ADORE those early 90's Sega commercials. If i could download all of them i'd be one happy man.
The ones that had the SEGA! scream in them were full of humor and personality...hell, i still find the "Sonic 2 infomercial" to be the greatest thing ever.
My only orginal game shirt is a used Turbo Outrun shirt i found on Ebay many moons ago.
Ed Oscuro
10-08-2004, 11:37 PM
Hmm...I should look at some more gaming shirts and the like. So far I've got three, my personal favorites being a new Namco/Ivy (Soul Calibur 2) shirt, and a rather well worn Dreamcast one. I don't wear them, though. Don't really care to be a billboard in public for games I don't play or own, not quite yet LOL
Perkar
10-09-2004, 12:25 AM
Hmm...I should look at some more gaming shirts and the like. So far I've got three, my personal favorites being a new Namco/Ivy (Soul Calibur 2) shirt, and a rather well worn Dreamcast one. I don't wear them, though. Don't really care to be a billboard in public for games I don't play or own, not quite yet LOL
how exactly did that shirt get "well worn" if you don't wear them? :)
Tetsu
10-09-2004, 01:45 AM
Meet Mr. "SEGA!!!" himself, Jimbo Matison. Jim was "at the right place at the right time" as a young intern at Sega, when he became immortalized with the slogan.
http://www.iatv.tv/bio.php?article_id=323&column=Bios
Ed Oscuro
10-09-2004, 01:57 AM
Jimbo Matison...Jim Morrison...er, anyways:
Sega yell > "SEeega" singing on logo appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog.
Probably a self-evident thing, though. LOL
I have two original Shadowgate shirts. The one is too big, and I hate to wear the other one since I want to keep it in good shape.
About the advertising. You would be surprised at the things which stick with some people...
grimbal
10-09-2004, 02:23 AM
I have my original Star Fox shirt I got during the Super Weekend contest. I've never worn it to this day.
I've also got a Resident Evil shirt which Capcom sent me after I called and complained about the Director's Cut edition of RE1.
At the time I didn't care less about the missing footage. I was just trying to see if I could score some loot. They also sent me the official strategy guide for the game. I love FREEBIES!!!!! :D
soniko_karuto
10-09-2004, 02:27 AM
i've got my donkey kong country blockbuster contest shirt.
farfel
10-09-2004, 09:17 AM
It just goes to show how slogans can be permanently engrained into a persons head, and perhaps even how our thoughts can be shaped and molded to believe whatever advertisements might want us to believe.
thoughts?
The downfall of society. People go into severe debt buying stuff they don't need just cause a commercial tells them to do so. They retire and have no money 'cause they spent it all.
Sad.
Pantechnicon
10-09-2004, 11:46 AM
Sega yell > "SEeega" singing on logo appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog.
Probably a self-evident thing, though. LOL
Probably. But oh that singing Sega was what kept you coming back to the machine, plugging new games into it (if Sega marketing had their way with you in any case). I've gotta defend singing Sega here only because my kids really like it. Whenever they see the logo, whether starting up the Genny or on a sign, they always bust out with it "SEEEEEGA!"
Behold the power of corporate icons.
om3ga
10-09-2004, 11:56 AM
Nintendo Pajamas .....
To bad they don't fit anymore .... just tried them on yesterday ... couldnt even get my legs in =(
LOL
slip81
10-09-2004, 12:11 PM
the Sega commercials I remember best are the MK1 ones with the nerdy kid "say it, say it...SEGA!", or was that with the dog? Anyway both Sega and Nintendo had good commercials back then. "Now you're playing with power!"
Aussie2B
10-09-2004, 12:26 PM
I have an original Vice: Project Doom shirt. No one can touch me.
O_O Indeed.
My Donkey Kong Country 2 shirts are pretty cool, though. :) I got a sweatshirt that I never wear because it's kinda tight on me (and I don't like super tight wrist cuffs), and I have a t-shirt that's GIGANTIC, so I just wear it to bed and mucking around the house. Sadly, neither are very flattering looking shirts for girls. :( The t-shirt is bright red, grey, and white... not my colors. x_x I just like them for the coolness factor.
ScottK
10-09-2004, 01:36 PM
Those Genesis does what Nintendon't commercials made me want to buy more Nintendo games for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that Pat Riley, James Buster Douglas, and Michael Jackson did nothing for me, heh.
Push Upstairs
10-09-2004, 01:52 PM
I'd say the worst Sega commercial i have seen is the one floating on the net with the subtitles "dorks playing Genesis".
Well, this is a nugget of 1990's fashion and music all wrapped in a little commercial. Between the early 90's dance music rip-off playing and the now silly hairstyles and outfits the kids wear.
And here is the commercial itself:
http://217.153.29.18/%7Emichal/dec/usa/dorks_dig_genesis.mpeg
Makes me be thankful for the later SEGA! commercials.
Barbarianoutkast85
10-09-2004, 01:55 PM
I have a Donkey Kong Country 3 and Illusion of Gaia shirt from when they were first released.
Promophile
10-09-2004, 02:34 PM
I have a Donkey Kong Country 3 and Illusion of Gaia shirt from when they were first released.
I recently lost an auction on a Illusion of Gaia shirt. I used to have one before it fell apart, and after I rebought Gaia I decided to find another one. The bidding actually went over $30, so I quit.
kainemaxwell
10-09-2004, 03:52 PM
Sega commericals that stand out most is the Sonic & Knuckles Santa one.
Famidrive-16
10-09-2004, 04:03 PM
Besides some HT shirts as gifts I've got a California Extreme 2003 shirt.
I simply ADORE those early 90's Sega commercials. If i could download all of them i'd be one happy man.
I have about 26 of them up on my site and more to come.
The Aladdin one is my favorite.
Push Upstairs
10-10-2004, 12:43 AM
Your site is where i got the SOR commercial from (good site BTW)
There is one commercial i have been looking for that nobody ever has...its the Sonic 2 commercial that aired before the game was released. It had a burrowing TV and at the very end of it the TV slams into the front door of a house and then lies broken on the doorstep displaying the SEGA logo.
There is one commercial i have been looking for that nobody ever has...its the Sonic 2 commercial that aired before the game was released. It had a burrowing TV and at the very end of it the TV slams into the front door of a house and then lies broken on the doorstep displaying the SEGA logo.
I remember that one -- great stuff.
Push Upstairs
10-10-2004, 12:25 PM
Someone else remembers it.....success! :D
I thought maybe the passage of time had warped my memories because i mentioned it in the past (elsewhere on the net) and nobody knew what i was talking about.
PopfulMail
10-10-2004, 03:40 PM
For a minute I thought this thread was about gaming tshirts. Anyway.... thank you Melf and Push Upstairs for the links to commercials...AND for making my Sunday a happy one. Seeing these classic SEGA commercials practically has me in tears. To this day, no video game advertising has stuck w/ me like the SEGA ads of yesterday. I remember when they tried to bring back the "SEGA Scream", but for some reason, it just didn't seem the same.
32X commercial: "Just stick it in your Genesis" .... "Allright.....BABY"
Classic.... right along w/ the print ad they had for it: "Mommy, what are those two SEGA machines doing?" [They're making an arcade system, dear.]