The blurred line between authenticity and advertising in video games
Advertising has featured in video games for years. Sometimes it is subtle and effective, seamlessly blending into the game, but often times it is clumsy and cynical. Callum Walden, from Sayers Brand Momentum, explores how you can successfully market within the world of gaming.
I was recently watching a review for Microsoft’s new premier motorsport simulation game Forza Motorsport when a seemingly innocuous comment caught my attention. While praising the general realism and physics of the game, the reviewer wished there were more ‘real world sponsors’ available to feature on driver racing suits and on vehicles.
This comment piqued my interest. How often do we experience a ‘normal’ (Read: Not in the advertising bubble) person actually request to be advertised at more?
Of course, advertising has been deeply embedded in gaming for years, most spectacularly for video game Fortnite, which has countless examples of in-game product integration, most notably with US fast-food chain Wendy’s for which its Food Fight game mode was recognised for its excellence at Cannes in 2019.
Great article!
Almost 12 years ago I wrote my university thesis on in-game advertising effectiveness and message/branding recall in youth. In the study I used Skate, F1 games and a few others as examples. It’s fantastic to see this subject coming up as I believe it’s an under discussed area. This world is worryingly unregulated and potentially a roundabout way to reach youth with ads, that you’d usually not be able to do; although the links to realism are also interesting.