From a mass mind control perspective the big mistake is that they created an unintentional false idea of their product (Anchoring the mind. Everybody is alert but not reasoning. Look, a controller. Look at what this controller can do. It's a controller.), and after that false idea has been firmly established suddenly, for a very short time present the real product.
If they had showed the console and the name first on stage and in the video, so that people knew it was about a console not a controller (and used the word console instead of companion), and shortened the anchoring, you can then go about showing off the controller for half an hour and people would still 'get' it.
This is a classic example of focusing on the mind control aspect so much that you lose sight of the fundamental points of the message you want to get across. The creation of this desirable idea is only one of those points and should get the appropriate attention, not dominate the whole play. Also to have it be the first impression is super risky. Yes that is when people determine what they think about it the most, but it's also where people determine what it is that they think things about. It would have been way better to have at least a short exposure to the actual whole product and name.
The second problem is the most common problem with mind control tactics of marketing is that it tends to be very visible and therefore counterproductive. They had Reggie take the explanation of the name way too far. Another good example of Nintendo doing this is the infamous "PLAY THE GAME". It needs to be subtle.
And I can't believe I'm giving marketing department tips to better influence the people. Normally I never do that, but this is really what went wrong here, if you really want to know. They clearly dove into mind control tactics which is cool and all, but they botched it.
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