• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, April 23, 2008 10:30 AM

Wii Fit, a $90 add-on to Nintendo's popular gaming system designed to appeal to women looking to lose weight, expands the range of games that can be played on the console to include activities such as yoga and push-ups. The Balance Board--which resembles bathroom scales--also tracks a user's weight and body-mass index.

Nintendo plans a massive marketing campaign ahead of the product's release in the U.S. May 19, including a public-relations effort under way. As part of the PR push, "Good Morning America" host Diane Sawyer tested the exercise game on the air last week. Television, outdoor and print ads--which will carry the tagline: "How will it move you?"--begin the week the product becomes available.

In an interview, Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's EVP/sales and marketing, says that the largest part of the marketing campaign will be the public-relations effort because "consumers are increasingly turning to friends, family and news articles as credible sources of information about products." Consumers are getting smarter, she points out, because they have more information than in the past and are able to share it online.

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