Kinect Launch Marked By Major Ad Partnerships

Microsoft Advertising is partnering with brands including Chevrolet, Sprint and T-Mobile for the November 4 launch of the full body tracking 3D Kinect camera for Xbox 360, the Xbox house said Monday. All three of the advertisers will launch Kinect-related campaigns when the anticipated peripheral launches later this year. Chevrolet will feature its vehicles, including the hybrid Chevy Volt car, in the controller-free Kinect racing game Kinect Joy Ride. The auto maker will also have an ad presence on Xbox Live and in a campaign within the "Kinect Hub." Telecommunications company Sprint is sponsoring the launch of the party game Kinect Adventures, the pack-in title that comes with Kinect hardware. Micorsoft and Sprint will have a "co-branded retail experience on Xbox Live," and Sprint will also sponsor a Kinect Adventures contest. Mobile operator T-Mobile will have virtual product placements within Kinect games and further sponsorships this holiday. Mark Kroese, general manager of the Interactive Entertainment Advertising Business Group at Microsoft said in a statement that Kinect has driven "tremendous momentum from the advertising community." Microsoft said that the Kinect offers new ways for users to interact with brands, thanks to its gesture- and voice-sensing capabilities.