The Videolamer Guide to In-Game Advertising

3. Get to the crux of the game

Smart agencies study the specific game they are placing ads in to better understand the core of the play experience. Super Mario is based on platforming, so working your ad into those mechanics would be very prudent. For another example, most shooters are heavily based on the weapons the player uses. Again, ads on or based around these weapons would do well.

Dead or Alive is about breasts, so a very sharp Dr. Zizmor paid to have his ad placed where the player’s attention is focused. Of course, your ad will probably not be for plastic surgery so it will not be as clever, but the position remains perfect for any ad. Many other games exist primarily to show off the female mammary glands, such as the Tomb Raider series, any Capcom game with Morrigan in it, and the upcoming Star Craft Ghost. Thanks Doctor Zizmor!

4. Be subtle

Some gamers, the Communist ones mostly, will take offense at the number of ads soon to be found in their games. The best way to reach these economic terrorists is to be subtle. If you smack them across the face with your flaccid ad, they will be offended and may even purposefully not buy your product. If, on the other hand, you market your product discreetly, only good things will come of it.

This shot from GTA San Andreas shows off some pretty nice sneakers. Nike was bright enough to notice and quickly paid to have their super sexy swoosh logo painted in bright red onto the soles of both shoes. This is a great example of subtlety in advertising. The majority of gamers won’t even notice they are looking at an ad, but their brains will remember and the next time they’re looking for new sneakers, the bright red Nike logo imprinted in their psyche will decide for them.

5. Be obvious

Some people may think that being subtle and being obvious are contradictory. If you are one of these people, please stop reading right here because the market does not need your closed minded negativity. The rest of us will continue to think outside of boxes and double our paradigm shifting efforts.

Back to the point, the best ad will utterly fail if it is not noticed. This dual Fruit of the Loom and Playtex ad can be found In Katamari Damacy 2 and I for one think it works. It is a bold piece of advertisement that is not afraid to say “Here I am! Memorize my logo and purchase anything I am printed on!” This type of brand ad will not only have the gamer’s subconscious aware of your product, but their overconscious, too.