Digital Home Thoughts: Here Come the Blu-ray Ads

"HD DVD made it to retail shelves first, but Sony’s Blu-ray Disc format looks to be launching with more fanfare. With HD DVD players in short supply and software distribution spotty, Warner Home Video and other HD DVD supporters will delay most major promotional efforts until the fourth quarter. The Blu-ray camp might be in the same position with hardware at launch—Sony’s own set-top player won’t launch until August and Pioneer’s has been delayed until September—but Sony’s hardware, software and retail divisions nevertheless are teaming up for advertising and retail product demonstrations now. This month, Sony kicked off TV, print and online ads for all of its Blu-ray products, including laptop computers, video cameras, Blu-ray Disc players and software titles."

I think given the negative publicity Sony has been getting of late, they are hoping to offset it with an advertising blitz. I've seen the ads for Underworld: Evolution referencing Blu-ray, but what I really want to see are ads for Lord of the Rings. I think they really need to focus on the absolute best titles that people would consider must haves for the new format and I think Lord of the Rings would be that title, especially for the early adopter crowd.