Sony hunts agency to handle PlayStation debut DM push

Sony Computer Entertainment is looking for its first direct marketing agency to handle its CD-based games console PlayStation.

The games hardware company already has a database of 200,000 names collected from warranty agreements, but wants to use the data more actively. It has recently collected additional data from a mailing sent to existing PlayStation owners.

Geoff Glendenning, Sony Computer Entertainment head of marketing, refuses to say how much of his marketing spend he would be prepared to divert below the line. His overall budget for the year is 15m. The above-the-line account is handled by TBWA/Simons Palmer.

A brief has gone out to below-the-line agencies. Previously the brand’s direct marketing has been handled in-house.

In May, the company announced it will replace Reebok as the official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, which is held across the continent annually. The 10m three- year contract covers TV and perimeter advertising. PlayStation currently sponsors nightclubs throughout the country, including the Ministry of Sound in London.

In a separate development, the Sony-owned games software manufacturer Psygnosis, based in Liverpool, is also about to appoint a below-the-line agency.