What is a company to do when they are quickly becoming the brand of the past? This was the situation that Nintendo was in just a few years ago. The Nintendo generation was entering its thirties and names like Playstation and Xbox dominated the youth-driven video game market. Nintendo, however, had one thing going for it: a new gaming platform with a revolutionary new type of remote. Executives knew right away that they needed a very special brand, a new company image and an equally special marketing strategy for this new type of video game system.

The system was designed to appear different and more family friendly than other gaming platforms. While other systems have a dark and edgy appearance, the Wii is white with a simple, uncomplicated appearance. The controllers are rounded and wireless, designed to be family room friendly. Product appearance has been a key part of the Wii’s branding strategy.

The Wii logo was the key to its brand. Instead of hard edges, this Nintendo platform featured a custom font with rounded edges and no serifs. The wording is almost bubbly, and the light gray color adds to the simplicity of the white gaming consoles. One cannot look at the Wii without recognizing it’s obvious differences from every other game system on the market.

Nintendo used bloggers, which are more generally respected than normal advertising venues, to get the word out about the Wii. The emphasis was on families, especially multi-generational families, playing the games together. In an age where word-of-mouth and buzz are major marketing tools, Nintendo made sure the Wii was getting plenty of chatter in play groups and nursing homes alike.

One of the major components of the Nintendo Wii’s branding has been the type of games that are offered. In addition to the normal video game fare, the Wii offers a wide range of games that are aimed at a variety of age groups. From exercise programs for Mom to bowling for Dad to games designed to teach toddlers their letters, Nintendo has made sure their games back up the family friendly image that they are trying to promote. In a market that is largely seen as bad for children, most Wii games are designed for more educational and/or socially adaptive entertainment.

Not only is the new Wii a growing brand, it is singlehandedly revamping the image of its parent company, Nintendo. Once seen as the beloved but obsolete maker of late eighties names such as Zelda and Super Mario Bros, Nintendo is now the preferred gaming system for the elderly and the very young. With the Wii, Nintendo has done more than just give their brand a much needed makeover; they have tapped into markets that the competition never could have reached.

Nintendo is a great example of the power of rebranding. With the help of marketing consultants and graphic artists, it is absolutely possible to completely overhaul a company’s image. It is the nature of brands to become obsolete, so re-evaluating and re-creating the company image is essential for businesses of every size.