Man’s Best Enemy

The Role of Advertising During Atari’s Launch in Brazil in 1983

Abstract

In the early 80s Brazil a host of small companies, sheltered from prosecution by local laws, resorted to industrial piracy as they released clone after clone of Atari consoles and games. In this text the authors revisit that market´s wild years and analyze the prize-winning advertising launch campaign of Atari 2600´s officially licensed version in 1983. The main focus is a set of eight TV spots and four double-page printed advertisements published on magazines. The campaign helped establish a gaming culture centered on a message that everyone could join in and play, making the Atari a de facto standard in the country as children, adults and families adopted the platform.