Ubisoft has announced a huge advertising push for its Wii and DS titles in the run up to the Christmas period. The £4m promotional offensive will be used to support titles from all corners of the company’s seasonal offering in the United Kingdom, with Rayman Raving Rabbids taking centre stage to the tune of £1m.

Ubisoft’s UK marketing director Jon Rosenblatt, said of the campaign: “From now until Christmas we are targeting various different demographics. We are putting a sizeable chunk into TV ads given the current economic climate.”

This last comment from Rosenblatt is very interesting. In times of economic strife, and with the Bank of England declaring that the UK is already in recession, advertising is usually one of the first things to be struck off most major firm’s balance sheets yet Ubisoft seems determined to go against the grain and persue its own strategy.

The act of disproportionately cutting communications budgets in the face of such tough times is hugely counterproductive. As trite as it is to suggest this, strategically sound marketing is one of the few things a company cannot do without if it is to make the best of bad situation such as this.

There is no real difference, in the minds of consumers, between the impact of this economic climate and any other PR crisis a brand may face. The symptoms are the same: populations are uneasy, afraid, suspicious and reassessing their environment as consumers. Brands must communicate strongly to reaffirm their position to potential and exsisting consumers alike.

This is not to assume that the campaign is anything of a tactical kneejerk on the part of Ubisoft. Looking over the details, not least the amounts of money involved, it is obvious that this is a thoroughly planned and perfectly placed push. However, whether it took twelve months or twelve weeks to prepare, its strategic benefits are undeniable.

Ubisoft does stand to benefit from this move. While the rest of the industry is learning the hard way that it in fact is not that ray of recession-proof light it once assumed it was Ubisoft is ploughing on ahead with a confident campaign that represents a compelling argument for its products as opposed to the competition. With Christmas on the horizon consumers will still be looking to spend, recession or no. The only difference is that they will be looking to spend in a more reserved and cautious fashion. It is in this situation that strong, bold and confident communications are a nessecity to reassure consumers and guarantee success.