web concept: In-game advertising
Would you believe that the first in-game ad was placed in 1978? Since then, and in particular in the last two years, in-game advertising has evolved leaps and bounds, making it one of the most interesting and attractive prospective outlets for advertisers. While many companies take a literal translation to in-game advertising: billboards, 15 to 30 second ad clips, and traditional product placement, the true innovators take advantage of the unique interactive and seemingly endlessly flexible format of the medium. Particularly creative campaigns have included Burger King’s advergames, ordering pizza via command line in Everquest II, and Starwood’s virtual hotel in Second Life.
But why is in-game advertising so important, why should it be paid amidst all the other up and coming ad mediums (rss ads, social networking, mobile technology)? There are a few cut and dry reasons, and then a few more interesting ones. First, all the big brands are doing it, and the annual advertising dollars spent in that area is projected to grow to near $1 billion by 2011. The reasoning being that the audience consists of a highly desirable demographic: 18- to 34-year-old men, high levels of disposable income, deeply engaged for an average of 12.5 hours a week (that’s more than they watch TV). In-game advertising has the most positive reception compared to other means, such as pop-ups and banner ads. Gamers have actually shown interest in how companies can creatively represent their brand in video game environments, if done well. If not, this is a highly critical group with a low attention span and a tendency to voice their opinion on the blogs, forums, and social sites.
So how does an advertiser tap into the true flexibility of the platform and communicate to the audience in a way that is engaging and memorable. You could create useful tools, “give back” to the community you are advertising too and you will create a lasting positive brand impression. You could redefine your product offering and focus on your brand, you don’t have to build cars in Second Life because you are a car company. You could create an experience that crosses channels and becomes a complimentary interactive experience all on its own. Or if you are good, you could do a combination of the above. Good examples include the Puma True Crime campaign that branded real life sneakers that gamers could purchase with True Crime design in conjunction with True Crime virtual sneakers with Puma design. Another example would be the Lost Experience, which managed to fill a need (summer reruns) in the Lost fan community with a multi-channel online experience game that spanned websites, newspaper ads, phone lines, YouTube videos, etc.
But none of those examples fulfill the true potential of a multi-channel experience that could really grab the limited time of that valuable gamer demographic. Here are some example campaigns I dreamed up:
The bigger picture is that advertising in games, while not in this year’s or next year’s budget for the large majority of advertisers, is here to stay and should be something to get very excited about. The bigger picture is that it is good for everybody. Gamers receive innovative brand experiences not available in any other venue. Risk-taking advertisers get a brand new untapped medium to get excited about. For every dollar spent, publishers are able and encouraged to take more risks on less mainstream games. For every dollar spent, developers get more money to develop more interesting games. Which all ads up to better are more exciting games, which makes everyone happy.
technorati tags: in-game advertising, wii
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