Throw a grenade at that ad!

I'm a gamer. I love to play whenever I can fit it in to my busy schedule. It's my little escape from reality. A few years back I had my first taste of overt In-Game Advertising. My initial reaction was one of mild shock and disappointment. I so badly wanted to throw a grenade at that ad. Overt product advertising had made its way into my own personal downtime and my life would never be the same. So much for that escape from reality.

However, advertising and product placement is already semi-ubiquitous in many other entertainment industries like those of movies and music, so I understand that it was just a matter of time. Besides, In-Game Advertising is not new by any means, but it has recently come into its own as a viable industry, which is expected to reach $1 Billion (USD) by 2014. Video games are not just for kids anymore. With the average age of gamers being 35 with 40% of those being female, the industry will only continue to offer up more value to brands as marketers start to figure out the landscape and its true potential.

Over the past couple of years my view has changed as I've experienced some of the new and creative ways in which advertisers utilize this newer medium to speak to consumers on both passive and overt levels. I have to say that I'm quite impressed and sometimes blown away with some of the thought that goes into these initiatives.

Here's one such example: Old Spice worked with Xbox Live to sponsor a contest in which it challenged a community of amateur game developers to create original arcade games - based on and utilizing one of four Old Spice products. The entire campaign took place within the Xbox Live community. The winner was decided by the masses of Xbox Live members who play and download these types of games on a regular basis. This overt initiative not only worked in favour of the brands impression, but it also managed to give back to the gamer community on a grassroots level.

A more passive example is a game like Zygna's Farmville Facebook app, in which you complete tasks or quests. This quest will often involve having to use or interact with a brand or product to complete the quest, thus giving the user a virtual brand interaction and possibly some idea as to how that product would benefit them in real life. Often these branded virtual goods have to be acquired via payment with real-life money, thus increasing their perceived value in-game and in reality.

On the other hand there are some less creative and more mundane forms of in game advertising. Which appear to be more apparent in sports video games where ads are virtually posted in-game on score boards or arena boards. Just as with real life, there's nothing new or exciting here, save for that these ads can be geo-targeted. Thus allowing advertisers to essentially plan a media strategy within a video game based on the geography of the user.

Ultimately, the key goal of any In-Game Advertising scenario is essentially brand recall or impression. That being said, some people are doing it well, while others are not. In-Game Advertising is an exciting opportunity and one that opens up a whole new arena for us to play in. One where the rules and boundaries are still being established. The difference lies in how creative advertisers can get and how seamless they can make the experience for gamers. As a Creative, I can only hope we keep pushing the envelope to keep this medium fresh and exciting.

I'm going to put the pin back in the grenade now.