Nintendo's new marketing lead hasn't officially started her new job, but she's already beginning to spread the Nintendo gospel.

Nintendo has spent USD 40 million (EUR 27.7m) on print, TV and outdoor media advertising between January and June 2007, according to data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

The massive budget for 2007 continues the publisher's commitment to marketing – it has already spent USD 86 million (EUR 59.6m) for the whole of 2006 and USD 84 million (EUR 58.2m) in 2005.

The figures are revealed by MediaPost in an interview with Nintendo's newly appointed VP of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway.

Dunaway said that she was attracted to the position, which she starts next week, by seeing here son and mother playing with Nintendo products.

"I've seen the excitement on my nine-year-old son's face when he's playing a Pokemon game on his DS. Then I see my mom, who's in her 70's, having fun playing Wii bowling," she said.