Tarrant split good for Nintendo

***wraggster*** · September 22nd, 2006, 01:43

Via the Guardian:

The publicity surrounding Chris Tarrant's marriage breakdown has led to a surge in sales for Nintendo's DS Lite console, for which the television presenter is advertising spots that include him forgetting his wedding anniversary.
Nintendo UK today said it had no plans to pull the £1m television campaign, which promotes the Dr Kawashima's Brain Training game, which has another three weeks to run.

A spokeswoman confirmed sales "jumped dramatically" last week at the height of the publicity surrounding the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? presenter's alleged extramarital affair.

"We have got no plans to change our Tarrant campaign," she said. "Sales jumped dramatically last week and we are very pleased with how the campaign is performing."

Tarrant yesterday confirmed he and his wife Ingrid had split. A statement from Mrs Tarrant is expected today.

The advert featuring Tarrant forgetting his wedding anniversary sees the presenter kicked out of the marital bedroom by his wife. He then uses the Nintendo console to help build his memory power.

Three other TV adverts with variations on the memory theme, created by agency Leo Burnett, are also playing across the main terrestrial and multichannel outlets in both daytime and prime time.

A print campaign featuring Tarrant looking thoughtful as he uses the console has finished.

A source said Nintendo had been kept aware of the situation regarding Tarrant's private life and was "very relaxed" about the situation.

"If I was Nintendo, I would be ecstatic that its profile had been raised by this," the source said.

In his statement, Tarrant said he was "deeply sorry" for the hurt he had caused his wife and children, and asked the media to give his family some privacy.