The PlayStation 4 exclusive Marvel’s Spider-Man launched today to overwhelmingly positive reviews and warm fan reception. Spider-Man PS4 has also had a massive advertising campaign to push its blockbuster status. This campaign culminated in a 90-second spot during the opening game of the 2018 NFL season.
The “Be Greater” trailer showcases Peter Parker’s Spider-Man battling villains like Mr. Negative, Rhino, and Scorpion. Speaking with Fast Company, Sony’s Global Head of Marketing Eric Lempel talked a little bit about the trailer.
“It’ll be something brand new, something our fans haven’t seen before,” said Lempel. “It brings a few elements together—from the game to our hardware side, to the PlayStation store—so internally we’re working across all the marketing verticals to tell a story with this spot.”
The trailer also features the limited edition Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 Pro and controller. While not as expensive as commercials during the Super Bowl—which cost around $5 million for a 30-second ad—the airtime alone likely cost Sony millions.
The trailer premiered during the NFL opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the kickoff game had 19.5 million viewers including livestreaming services. While this is the lowest number for an NFL kickoff game since 2008, it is hardly a number to scoff at. Sony has been pushing the game with a gamut of trailers, advertisements, a “Countdown to Launch” with timed rewards, and collaborations with Marvel Comics to produce tie-in comics.
We enjoyed the game quite a bit in our review. Our own Jason Faulkner said he was “not sure if any game has quite captured the feeling of speed and movement quite like this one before. It’s just so consistently good.”
We also concluded that Spider-Man PS4 is “one of the best-looking games on the PS4 yet” and has some of the best combat in a video game.
