Wii U TV campaign launches next week, 60-second ad to air during X Factor

Nintendo promises "fresh and different" ad campaign for Wii U. Tulisa not guaranteed.

Nintendo will launch its TV advertising campaign for Wii U next Wednesday, October 17, the firm has announced, with a special 60-second ad to air during next Saturday's X Factor.

According to this week's issue of industry magazine MCV, the ad campaign will focus on "communicating the device's next generation cred" following the console's confused messaging during previous trade shows.

"We know there is a demand out there for a new console format," said Nintendo UK marketing and PR director Shelly Pearce. "And this is a new generation of console. Maybe at E3 2011 we didn't make that clear enough - it really is a new box as well as that innovative controller. It offers many different things.

"We're making sure to communicate that angle in the marketing, and the campaign will seem fresh and slightly different. Although there are clear elements that say 'this is from the people behind Wii' to maintain some continuity."

Nintendo says that it's launching its TV campaign six weeks ahead of the console's launch to help "raise awareness". Budgets for the firm's ad campaigns are said to be "the same" as those for the original Wii's launch.

"I think this is the perfect time to launch a new console," Pearce added. "And there's the promise of longevity with this platform. People played Wii for seven years, and Wii U is backwards compatible with all the older hardware, games and accessories. So the premium pack is everything you need, out of the box, for Christmas day."

Wii U launches in the UK on November 30.