Advergaming
Encyclopedia
Advergaming is the practice of using video games to advertise a product, organization or viewpoint. The term "advergames" was coined in January 2000 by Anthony Giallourakis, and later mentioned by Wired
's "Jargon Watch" column in 2001. It has been applied to various free online games commissioned by major companies.
With the growth of the internet, advergames have proliferated, often becoming the most visited aspect of brand websites and becoming an integrated part of brand media planning in an increasingly fractured media environment. Advergames theoretically promote repeated traffic to websites and reinforce brands. Users choosing to register to be eligible for prizes can help marketers collect customer data. Gamers may also invite their friends to participate, which could assist promotion by word of mouth
, or "viral marketing
."
Games for advertising are sometimes classified as a type of serious game
, as these games have a strong educational or training purpose other than pure entertainment.
Examples of ATL advergames include promotional software
.
In employing ATL advergaming, a company typically provides interactive games on its website
in the hope that potential customers will be drawn to the game and spend more time on the website, or simply become more product aware. The games themselves usually feature the company's products prominently
(often as "powerups" or upgrades). These games may consist of reworked arcade classics or original programming, and they are usually designed for Adobe Flash
or similar multimedia software.
Game Industry trade resource Game Daily identifies New York-based marketing company, BrandGames, as the pioneer of advergaming in 1995. The earliest custom video games featuring integrated brand messages were developed in the era before substantial penetration of the World Wide Web and were distributed on floppy disk
. These games were typically of a higher quality than the modern flash games and were distributed for free, often bundled with other products from the company advertised for. The first floppy disk advergames were developed to serve dual purposes—as promotional incentives that drive response and as media that deliver awareness. American Home Foods Chef Boyardee
, Coca-Cola
, and Samsung
brands issued the first-ever floppy-disk advergames. Other early brands to use the format were Reebok
, General Mills
, the Gap
and Taco Bell
which distributed games as "kids' premiums." The first in-box CD-ROM cereal box advergames were General Mills' Chex Quest
(promoting the Chex
brand) and General Mills' All-Star baseball (starring Trix Rabbit and his friends playing baseball against Major League
teams and stars).
With the spread of broadband internet, ATL advergames have become more in-depth than the simple arcade style flash games and larger games that were confined to being distributed on disc only. A number of technologically advanced advergames have been released online for free through the sponsorship of companies such as Schick
. Kuma Reality Games, for instance, has developed the advergame, The DinoHunters
, as a full first person shooter based on the Source Engine
. The DinoHunters is released for free through Schick's sponsorship and consequently Schick's products feature prominently in game. Accompanying machinima
episodes have also been created alongside The DinoHunters to help advertise the products.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Post-It has a flash game.
Examples of BTL
advergames include recruitment tool
s, edutainment
, and traditional in-game advertising
.
In utilizing BTL advergaming, games are published in the usual way and cause players to investigate further. The subjects advertised for may be commercial, political, or educational in nature. Commercial examples are numerous and include advergames funded by Pepsi
, 7 Up
, NFL
, Formula One
, and most recently Burger King
. Political/military examples of BTL advergames include recruitment tool
s like America's Army
, intended to boost recruitment for the United States Army
, and Special Force
, intended to promote Muslim
resistance to the state of Israel
. Educational advergaming is closely related to the Serious game
s initiative and falls under either Edumarket gaming or edutainment
. Examples include Food Force
(made by the United Nations
' World Food Program) and Urban Jungle
, an educational traffic simulation.
Another BTL advergame technique consists of advertising within a game itself. Since the intent of in-game advertising is typically commercial rather than political, some consider such advertisements to make up a category of their own. However as with the above-mentioned BTL advergame forms, it is the technique by which the propaganda is purveyed rather than the nature of its intended audience which defines in-game advertising as a subset of BTL advergaming and not its own category. In-game advertising is similar to subtle advertising in films, where the advertising content is within the "world" of the movie. Thus billboard
s, fliers
, sponsored product placement, and the interplay between the player and these elements in the game allow for a great degree of virtual advertisement. Examples include billboards advertising for (and product placement of) Bawls
energy drink in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
, and billboards for Adidas
sportswear in FIFA International Soccer.
One company that is infamous for BTL advertising is EA. EA games frequently have advertisements on in game billboards, stadiums and other areas.
In-game BTL advertisement can be a way to combat costs that the game makers encounter and reduce the cost of the game to the consumer (especially games with monthly fees) while providing an outlet to advertise products. It also currently helps many people sustain free online games. This method of advertising in offline games is somewhat controversial, however, as players may feel the advertisements cast an unsavory commercial/avaricious pall over gameplay without substantial reduction in game price.
Examples of TTL advergames include "link-chases," ARGs, and viral marketing
.
A rare form of advergaming, TTL advergames involve the use of URL
hyperlink
s within the game designed to induce the player to visit a webpage which then contains BTL advertisements. The technique used to tempt the player into visiting the intended URL varies from game to game. In games like Pikmin 2
, the player is given a cryptic message with an accompanying URL designed to pique the curiosity of the player. In games such as Enter the Matrix
, Year Zero, I Love Bees, and Lost Experience
, URLs make up a part of the background of the game such that certain plot details can only be learned by following the link given in the game. The knowledge of such plot details are typically not required to complete the game, but make for a fuller story for fans. Websites of this nature often lead players on to other links which again lead to further links, thus earning these games the label "link-chases." The tradeoff for TTL advertisers is that though use of the internet to find out extra things about a game might be enjoyable, gamers will not enjoy being given too much of a run-around with too obtrusive advertising to obtain important details about the game. In another form, the U.R.L. might be part of a stage where a player can see it but it does not effect the plot. For example, in Super Monkey Ball 2, there is a stage where you can see clearly written on an obstacle a U.R.L. and the stage's name is even the word U.R.L.
. Game specially arranged so that it for advertising purposes can create any product, service, brand, company, artifacts, events, community, which will actively engage virtually the entire audience of the game.
The advergame industry is expected to generate $312.2 million by 2009, up from $83.6 million in 2004, according to Boston research firm Yankee Group.
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
's "Jargon Watch" column in 2001. It has been applied to various free online games commissioned by major companies.
With the growth of the internet, advergames have proliferated, often becoming the most visited aspect of brand websites and becoming an integrated part of brand media planning in an increasingly fractured media environment. Advergames theoretically promote repeated traffic to websites and reinforce brands. Users choosing to register to be eligible for prizes can help marketers collect customer data. Gamers may also invite their friends to participate, which could assist promotion by word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
, or "viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
."
Games for advertising are sometimes classified as a type of serious game
Serious game
A serious game is a game designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. The "serious" adjective is generally prepended to refer to products used by industries like defense, education, scientific exploration, health care, emergency management, city planning, engineering, religion,...
, as these games have a strong educational or training purpose other than pure entertainment.
Categories
While other categories have been proposed, Advergaming normally falls into one of three categories which are derived from a historical categorization technique normally applied to traditional media:Above the line (ATL) advergaming
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
.
In employing ATL advergaming, a company typically provides interactive games on its website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
in the hope that potential customers will be drawn to the game and spend more time on the website, or simply become more product aware. The games themselves usually feature the company's products prominently
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
(often as "powerups" or upgrades). These games may consist of reworked arcade classics or original programming, and they are usually designed for Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
or similar multimedia software.
Game Industry trade resource Game Daily identifies New York-based marketing company, BrandGames, as the pioneer of advergaming in 1995. The earliest custom video games featuring integrated brand messages were developed in the era before substantial penetration of the World Wide Web and were distributed on floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
. These games were typically of a higher quality than the modern flash games and were distributed for free, often bundled with other products from the company advertised for. The first floppy disk advergames were developed to serve dual purposes—as promotional incentives that drive response and as media that deliver awareness. American Home Foods Chef Boyardee
Chef Boyardee
Chef Boyardee is a brand of canned pasta products sold internationally by ConAgra Foods. Named after its founder, Italian-American immigrant Ettore Boiardi, the company began production in the United States in the 1920s...
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, and Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
brands issued the first-ever floppy-disk advergames. Other early brands to use the format were Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
, General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
, the Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
and Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
which distributed games as "kids' premiums." The first in-box CD-ROM cereal box advergames were General Mills' Chex Quest
Chex Quest
Chex Quest is a non-violent first-person shooter video game created in 1996 by Digital Café as a Chex cereal promotion aimed at children aged 9 and up...
(promoting the Chex
Chex
Chex is a brand of breakfast cereal, introduced in 1937 and currently manufactured by General Mills. It was originally owned by Ralston Purina, and the Chex name reflects the "checkerboard square" logo of Ralston Purina. The product line was part of the spinoff of the Ralston portion of Ralston...
brand) and General Mills' All-Star baseball (starring Trix Rabbit and his friends playing baseball against Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams and stars).
With the spread of broadband internet, ATL advergames have become more in-depth than the simple arcade style flash games and larger games that were confined to being distributed on disc only. A number of technologically advanced advergames have been released online for free through the sponsorship of companies such as Schick
Schick
Schick may refer to:* Schick , a well-known brand of safety razor* Schick Technologies, a major manufacturer of digital X-ray systems for dentists*Schick test a test to determine susceptibility to diphtheriaSchick is the surname of:...
. Kuma Reality Games, for instance, has developed the advergame, The DinoHunters
Dinohunters
The DinoHunters is an advertisement-supported first person shooter and machinima series created by Kuma Reality Games. Using Valve's Source for its engine, The Dinohunters is distributed in free downloadable episodes for the PC. The first episode was released in 2006 through Kuma Reality Games'...
, as a full first person shooter based on the Source Engine
Source engine
Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve Corporation. It debuted in June 2004 with Counter-Strike: Source and shortly thereafter Half-Life 2, and has been in active development ever since...
. The DinoHunters is released for free through Schick's sponsorship and consequently Schick's products feature prominently in game. Accompanying machinima
Machinima
Machinima is the use of real-time 3D computer graphics rendering engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, video games are used to generate the computer animation...
episodes have also been created alongside The DinoHunters to help advertise the products.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Post-It has a flash game.
Below the line (BTL) advergaming
Below the line (advertising)
Above the line , below the line , and through the Line , in organizational business and marketing communications, are different ways companies try and sell their products....
advergames include recruitment tool
Recruitment tool
A recruitment tool is an advertising method that aids in creating interest in and getting people for a typically political organization. The term can not properly be applied to commercial advertising. Historically recruitment tools have often taken the form of posters or films, though in modern...
s, edutainment
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
, and traditional in-game advertising
In-game advertising
In-game advertising refers to advertising in computer and video games. IGA differs from advergaming, which refers to a game specifically made to advertise a product.The IGA industry is large and growing...
.
In utilizing BTL advergaming, games are published in the usual way and cause players to investigate further. The subjects advertised for may be commercial, political, or educational in nature. Commercial examples are numerous and include advergames funded by Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
, 7 Up
7 Up
7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo in the rest of the world, including Puerto Rico, where the concentrate is manufactured at the Pepsi facility in Cidra...
, NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, and most recently Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
. Political/military examples of BTL advergames include recruitment tool
Recruitment tool
A recruitment tool is an advertising method that aids in creating interest in and getting people for a typically political organization. The term can not properly be applied to commercial advertising. Historically recruitment tools have often taken the form of posters or films, though in modern...
s like America's Army
America's Army
America's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
, intended to boost recruitment for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and Special Force
Special Force
Special Force is a first-person shooter military video game, published by Hezbollah, created using the Genesis 3D engine. The game is set in a 3D environment, in which the player takes the role of a Hezbollah combatant fighting the IDF...
, intended to promote Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
resistance to the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Educational advergaming is closely related to the Serious game
Serious game
A serious game is a game designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. The "serious" adjective is generally prepended to refer to products used by industries like defense, education, scientific exploration, health care, emergency management, city planning, engineering, religion,...
s initiative and falls under either Edumarket gaming or edutainment
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
. Examples include Food Force
Food Force
Food Force is an Educational game published by the United Nations World Food Programme in 2005. Due to its content, it is considered a serious game . Players take on missions to distribute food in a famine-affected country and to help it to recover and become self-sufficient again...
(made by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' World Food Program) and Urban Jungle
Urban Jungle
Urban Jungle is an educational computer game published in Croatia by and . It is an educational traffic simulator aimed at kids in schools and all others that are about to drive a car. The game is free of violence and distributed as freeware . It is financed via the advergaming concept and with...
, an educational traffic simulation.
Another BTL advergame technique consists of advertising within a game itself. Since the intent of in-game advertising is typically commercial rather than political, some consider such advertisements to make up a category of their own. However as with the above-mentioned BTL advergame forms, it is the technique by which the propaganda is purveyed rather than the nature of its intended audience which defines in-game advertising as a subset of BTL advergaming and not its own category. In-game advertising is similar to subtle advertising in films, where the advertising content is within the "world" of the movie. Thus billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s, fliers
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
, sponsored product placement, and the interplay between the player and these elements in the game allow for a great degree of virtual advertisement. Examples include billboards advertising for (and product placement of) Bawls
Bawls
Bawls Guarana is a highly caffeinated soft drink containing natural Guarana flavor and a relatively high amount of caffeine, amongst other ingredients. BAWLS products are owned by BAWLS Acquisition of Miami, Florida.- Packaging :...
energy drink in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game developed and produced by Interplay for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Released on January 13, 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the fourth video game to be set in the Fallout universe and the first to be made for consoles...
, and billboards for Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
sportswear in FIFA International Soccer.
One company that is infamous for BTL advertising is EA. EA games frequently have advertisements on in game billboards, stadiums and other areas.
In-game BTL advertisement can be a way to combat costs that the game makers encounter and reduce the cost of the game to the consumer (especially games with monthly fees) while providing an outlet to advertise products. It also currently helps many people sustain free online games. This method of advertising in offline games is somewhat controversial, however, as players may feel the advertisements cast an unsavory commercial/avaricious pall over gameplay without substantial reduction in game price.
Through the line (TTL) advergaming
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
.
A rare form of advergaming, TTL advergames involve the use of URL
Uniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....
hyperlink
Hyperlink
In computing, a hyperlink is a reference to data that the reader can directly follow, or that is followed automatically. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks...
s within the game designed to induce the player to visit a webpage which then contains BTL advertisements. The technique used to tempt the player into visiting the intended URL varies from game to game. In games like Pikmin 2
Pikmin 2
is a real-time strategy video game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan on April 29, 2004, in North America on August 30, 2004, in Europe on October 8, 2004, and in Australia on November 4, 2004....
, the player is given a cryptic message with an accompanying URL designed to pique the curiosity of the player. In games such as Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix is the first video game based on The Matrix series of films. It was developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari and WB Interactive for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube game systems, and for the PC. It was published in Japan by Bandai...
, Year Zero, I Love Bees, and Lost Experience
Lost Experience
The Lost Experience was an alternate reality game that was part of the American television drama Lost. The game was developed by ABC in the United States, Channel 4 in the UK, and Channel 7 in Australia. It was written by Jordan Rosenberg and created by the agency Hi-ReS!...
, URLs make up a part of the background of the game such that certain plot details can only be learned by following the link given in the game. The knowledge of such plot details are typically not required to complete the game, but make for a fuller story for fans. Websites of this nature often lead players on to other links which again lead to further links, thus earning these games the label "link-chases." The tradeoff for TTL advertisers is that though use of the internet to find out extra things about a game might be enjoyable, gamers will not enjoy being given too much of a run-around with too obtrusive advertising to obtain important details about the game. In another form, the U.R.L. might be part of a stage where a player can see it but it does not effect the plot. For example, in Super Monkey Ball 2, there is a stage where you can see clearly written on an obstacle a U.R.L. and the stage's name is even the word U.R.L.
Product placement
A very interesting and promising promotional opportunity is the product placement in online multiplayer games—the deep integration of advertised products, services and brands into the gameplay. Most suitable for this type of promotion are two types of games—virtual worlds (e.g., Second Life) and universal business simulations. Under the deep integration into the gameplay involves the creation of active game entities that enhance the player and increase the variability and interesting gameplay. For example, the emergence of a virtual bank with a real brand in the virtual world provides additional opportunities for transactions with the virtual currency. Or, for example, the integration of business-simulation of a new product with a real brand (for example, computers Apple) allows players to produce and sell a new group of virtual goods, which has a significant advantage over goods noname. The principal advantage of this type of in-game advertising is that such advertising to 100% of the audience is loyal, and almost all the players repeatedly and actively engaged in the virtual world with integrated gameplay brands. Especially these benefits manifest themselves in business simulations, because it is goods, services and brands are the basis of gameplay in them and the main objects of game action. Games based on the model of monetization through a deep product placement is very rare and they are just beginning to emerge. One of the most remarkable games with almost unlimited possibilities for such advertising—online business simulation VirtonomicsVirtonomics
Virtonomics is a browser-based multiplayer economic game. Virtonomics is a business simulation, simulating economics. It allows users to study the basics of management. The game is turn-based and the conversion of a game situation occurs once a day.-Gameplay:The game resembles the game Capitalism 2...
. Game specially arranged so that it for advertising purposes can create any product, service, brand, company, artifacts, events, community, which will actively engage virtually the entire audience of the game.
Future of advergaming
As long as the game delivers a fun pay off, consumers consider it a relevant and valid cultural experience. In recent brand-impact studies, associating a brand with the fun of gaming is known to lift brand metrics such as brand awareness, message association and purchase intent. After playing a game, consumers are more likely to remember not just the brand or product itself, but to associate specific brand attributes with it.The advergame industry is expected to generate $312.2 million by 2009, up from $83.6 million in 2004, according to Boston research firm Yankee Group.
Industry statistics
- According to the Entertainment Software Association, 42% of gamers say they play online games one or more hours per week.
Console
- In DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, as well as Treyarch's Quantum of Solace, there are in-game billboards/posters designed to be scenery, that promote and/or advertise goods and services. The first Bad Company, promotes its own sequel in online multiplayer maps.
- AtariAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
released the game Pepsi InvadersPepsi InvadersPepsi Invaders is an advergame for the Atari 2600 platform, based on the popular Space Invaders. It was commissioned by Coca-Cola for their 1983 sales convention, and developed by Atari as a modification of the original Space Invaders cartridge .The game is a modification of Space Invaders, with...
as commissioned by Coca-Cola in 1983 for that years sales convention. This was one of the earliest advergames. (Atari 2600Atari 2600The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, 1983). - Purina had a mail-in offer for the Atari 2600Atari 2600The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
game Chase the Chuck WagonChase the Chuck WagonChase the Chuck Wagon is a 1983 promotional video game distributed by Purina for the Atari 2600/VCS home console. It was available only via mail by sending in proofs of purchase to Purina.- Gameplay :...
for customers of Chuck Wagon dog food in 1983. - The Domino's PizzaDomino's PizzaDomino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
chain shipped a game called Yo! NoidYo! NoidYo! Noid is a platform video game released in the United States for the NES by Capcom during November, 1990. It stars the Noid, the claymation mascot of Domino's Pizza in the late 1980s, going through fourteen different side-scrolling levels throughout various locations of New York City to battle...
(NESNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, 1990). - The McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
characters (RonaldRonald McDonaldRonald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
, Grimace, etc.) starred in M.C. KidsM.C. KidsM.C. Kids is a platform game developed and published by Virgin Interactive. It was initially released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in February 1992 in North America and by Ocean Software in May 1993 in Europe...
(NESNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, 1991), programmed by Virgin GamesVirgin InteractiveVirgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
. The same game featured a Virgin Atlantic AirwaysVirgin Atlantic AirwaysVirgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines...
tail at the beginning.- Ronald McDonaldRonald McDonaldRonald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
also appeared in the Virgin InteractiveVirgin InteractiveVirgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
game Mick & Mack as the Global GladiatorsGlobal GladiatorsGlobal Gladiators is a 1992 platform game by Virgin Interactive, originally programmed by David Perry for the Mega Drive/Genesis and eventually ported by other Virgin Interactive teams in Europe...
, where the titular characters are sucked into a comic in a McDonalds restaurant. In order to open the exit players must collect miniature "Golden Arches" logos scattered through levels.
- Ronald McDonald
- CheetosCheetosCheetos is a brand of cheese-flavored cornmeal snack made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. Fritos creator Charles Elmer Doolin invented Cheetos in 1948, and began national distribution in the U.S. The initial success of Cheetos was a contributing factor to the merger between The Frito Company...
snacks had two advergames starring Chester CheetahChester CheetahChester Cheetah is a fictional character and the official mascot for Cheetos brand snacks and Chester's Puffcorn. According to an article in The New York Times, DDB Needham Worldwide is responsible for the creation of Chester; however, an episode of Unwrapped claims that the mascot was created by...
: Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to FoolChester Cheetah: Too Cool to FoolChester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool was a 1992 video game that starred Cheetos mascot Chester Cheetah, only released in North America.The instruction manual contains a popular Engrish that is recognized by many gamers, "As is Chester Cheetah way, is one-person play." The Engrish spawned due to bad...
(SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, 1992) and Chester Cheetah: Wild Wild QuestChester Cheetah: Wild Wild QuestChester Cheetah: Wild Wild Quest is a 1990s video game that starred Cheetos mascot Chester Cheetah. It is the sequel to Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool. The game is designed much like Super Mario World in which the player navigates through levels in a map, and the game is also a platformer....
(Sega GenesisSega Mega DriveThe Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, 1992). - 7 Up7 Up7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo in the rest of the world, including Puerto Rico, where the concentrate is manufactured at the Pepsi facility in Cidra...
's Cool Spot (Sega GenesisSega Mega DriveThe Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, 1993) was created to advertise for the 7 Up softdrink. - Pepsiman is a mascot for PepsiCoPepsiCoPepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
's Pepsi in Japan. The character was used in the video games Pepsiman (PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, 1999) and the SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
fighting game Fighting VipersFighting VipersFighting Vipers is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega AM2.The game was first released in the arcade in 1995 using the Sega Model 2 hardware and ported the same year to the Sega Saturn with significantly reduced graphics.-Gameplay:...
. - Rockstar GamesRockstar GamesRockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
' Grand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,...
(PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, 2001) contains in-game radio advertisements for various online services such as "sleepofflard.com," many of which redirect to the Rockstar website. - In November 2006, Burger KingBurger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
began selling three advergaming XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
titles for an additional $3.99 ($4.99 in Canada) each with any value meal. Known as the King GamesKing GamesKing Games was a series of three video games sold at Burger King. The games were available as part of a promotion during the holiday season from late November until December 24, 2006....
series, these games include Sneak KingSneak KingSneak King is an advergaming title from Burger King for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it for an additional $3.99 USD with any value meal...
(XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, 2006), Pocketbike RacerPocketBike RacerPocketbike Racer is an advergaming title from Burger King for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it for an additional $3.99 USD with any value meal...
(XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, 2006), and Big Bumpin'Big Bumpin'Big Bumpin' is an advergaming title from Burger King for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. published by King Games & developed by Blitz Games. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it for an additional $3.99 USD with any value meal...
(Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, 2006). They were all developed by Blitz GamesBlitz GamesBlitz Games is a division of Blitz Games Studios and is responsible for producing its family titles, which are often licensed games based on well known IP. It is located in Warwickshire, England...
' Blitz ArcadeBlitz ArcadeBlitz Arcade is the Downloadable games division of Blitz Games Studios. It is located in Warwickshire, England.- List of games :*Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao: A Kung Fu beatem' up. The first ever digital 3D download game for consoles....
Division and were the best selling games of the 2006 holiday season. More than 3.2 million copies are believed to have been sold in the US and Canada alone. - Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
gained advergaming exposure in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is the sequel to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. It expands on the game play of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and is the fourth installment in the popular Ghost Recon tactical shooter video game series, published by Ubisoft.The game...
(Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, 2007) where one may see billboards of films such as The Bourne UltimatumThe Bourne UltimatumThe Bourne Ultimatum is the third Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum and a sequel to The Bourne Supremacy . First published in 1990, it was the last Bourne novel to be written by Ludlum himself. Eric Van Lustbader wrote a sequel titled The Bourne Legacy fourteen years later.A film titled...
. - In October 2008, in-game ad firm, GameJacket, launched a Flash demo version of THQTHQTHQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
's Nintendo DS title Lock's QuestLock's QuestLock's Quest is a real-time strategy video game developed by 5th Cell and published by THQ. This is 5th Cell's second Nintendo DS game. It was released in North America on September 8, 2008, in Europe on September 26, 2008 and in Australia on September 25, 2008.-Gameplay:Lock's Quest is a real-time...
via gaming sites. The notable difference in this version was the use of GameJacket's purportedly brand new dynamic geo-targeting technology to deliver territory specific ad spots in the game for the retail version. - In Guitar HeroGuitar HeroGuitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
on multiplayer, certain parts of the stage may advertise something. This was seen mainly while online where advertisements for Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
and even a campaign poster for Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
were seen. - James Pond 2James Pond 2James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod, also known as Super James Pond, is a platform video game and sequel to James Pond. The game was developed by the same British video game developers as the original game...
featured as in-game product placement for the McVitie's biscuit company's Penguin Biscuits.
PC
- BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
' BMW M3 Challenge (online, 2008) includes both ATL- and BTL-form advergaming. BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
worked with 10tacle Studios to repurpose the GT LegendsGT LegendsGT Legends is a sports car racing simulator developed by Simbin for the PC. It is based on the 2005 FIA Historic Racing Championshipsfor GTC and TC cars of the 1960s and 1970s...
game, a race simulation game, to showcase the 2008 BMW M3BMW M3The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
. - Life SaversLife SaversLife Savers is an American brand of ring-shaped mints and artificially fruit-flavored hard candy. The candy is known for its distinctive packaging, coming in aluminum foil rolls....
launched the web's first major advergaming portal, Candystand.com, in March 1997. The website was acquired from the Wm. Wrigley Jr. CompanyWm. Wrigley Jr. CompanyThe William Wrigley Jr. Company is a company headquartered in the Wrigley Building in Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded on April 1, 1891, originally selling products such as soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr., the company's founder, began packaging...
by Funtank in August 2008 and hosts advergames for a broad range of brands. - General MillsGeneral MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
packaged a game with Cocoa PuffsCocoa PuffsCocoa Puffs is a brand of chocolate-flavored puffed grain breakfast cereal, manufactured by General Mills. Introduced in 1958, the cereal consists of small orbs of corn, oats and rice that have been flavored with cocoa. Essentially, Cocoa Puffs are Kix cereal with added chocolate flavoring...
cereal, which included the main game "Sonny's Race for Chocolaty Taste", a demoGame demoA game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
of "Moop and Dreadly: The Treasure on Bing Bong Island", and a copy of AOLAOLAOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
. - General MillsGeneral MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
' Millsberry (2004–10) targeted Middle schoolMiddle schoolMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and Elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
children but could be played at any age. It endorsed General Mills cereal by featuring products such as cereal and clothing that players could buy on the website with "Millsbucks". - Spot, a puzzle game featuring 7 Up7 Up7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo in the rest of the world, including Puerto Rico, where the concentrate is manufactured at the Pepsi facility in Cidra...
's mascot, the Spot. The 7 Up logo is featured prominently during the introduction screens. - Trackmania Forever features a dynamic billboard advertising system.
- VirtonomicsVirtonomicsVirtonomics is a browser-based multiplayer economic game. Virtonomics is a business simulation, simulating economics. It allows users to study the basics of management. The game is turn-based and the conversion of a game situation occurs once a day.-Gameplay:The game resembles the game Capitalism 2...
, a massively multiplayer onlineMassively multiplayer online gameA massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
business simulation, focused on opportunities for product placement - Viva Cruiser was a browser game from PfizerPfizerPfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
meant to advertise Viagra, but was eventually taken offline by the Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug AdministrationThe Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
.
See also
- EdutainmentEdutainmentEdutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
- In-game advertisingIn-game advertisingIn-game advertising refers to advertising in computer and video games. IGA differs from advergaming, which refers to a game specifically made to advertise a product.The IGA industry is large and growing...
- Massive IncorporatedMassive IncorporatedMassive Incorporated is an advertising company that provides software and services to dynamically host advertisements within video games. Massive Incorporated was purchased by Microsoft in May 2006 for approximately $200 million to $400 million....
- Recruitment toolRecruitment toolA recruitment tool is an advertising method that aids in creating interest in and getting people for a typically political organization. The term can not properly be applied to commercial advertising. Historically recruitment tools have often taken the form of posters or films, though in modern...
- Product placementProduct placementProduct placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...