Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Scratchpad: CNBC Interview with Activision, Nielsen
"Ads in games can be persuasive, study shows", Dec.5, 2005, msnbc.msn.com, accompanied by a video interview (IE6 only) with Robert A. Kotick, CEO of Activision and a VP of Nielsen.
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Scratchpad: Alternative Reality Branding
Joyce Schwarz, "Alternate Reality Gaming 101", iMedia Connection, March 03, 2006.
Highlights (verbatim):
- Major brands such as Microsoft, Hasbro, Jet Blue, American Express, Sharp, Audi, Song Airlines and Stella Artois beer are staking out space in the ARG arena.
- You don't want to tell the story; you want the players to tell it to each other.
Many examples of different types of ARG's.
Highlights (verbatim):
- Major brands such as Microsoft, Hasbro, Jet Blue, American Express, Sharp, Audi, Song Airlines and Stella Artois beer are staking out space in the ARG arena.
- You don't want to tell the story; you want the players to tell it to each other.
Many examples of different types of ARG's.
Scratchpad: Dos and Don'ts
Fran Kennish, "In-Game Advertising Dos and Don'ts", iMedia Connection, March 3, 2006
Highlights (verbatim):
Do's:
- A brand's presence should enhance the gaming engagement
- Brand and commercial content must be relevant to the game
- Brands should feel like a natural part of the game
- Customization can strengthen gamers' engagement with a brand
- In-game communication must be measurable
Don'ts:
- Assuming video games will work with any brand
- Interrupting, delaying or inappropriately altering game-play with in-game communication
- Imposing on gamers' attention with communication that doesn't add to the game
- Assuming real-world creative will work within a video game environment
- Considering "advergames" as an inexpensive way of reaching a gaming audience.
People:
Fran Kennish (fran.kennish at mecglobal.com) is senior partner, director of strategic planning at MEC MediaLab, part of Mediaedge:cia.
Questions:
- How to integrate brands into worlds that are not originally "brand-friendly", such as fantasy environments?
- If an ad or a branded item fits too seamlessly into the game, will it be overlooked and it's desired effect minimized?
Highlights (verbatim):
Do's:
- A brand's presence should enhance the gaming engagement
- Brand and commercial content must be relevant to the game
- Brands should feel like a natural part of the game
- Customization can strengthen gamers' engagement with a brand
- In-game communication must be measurable
Don'ts:
- Assuming video games will work with any brand
- Interrupting, delaying or inappropriately altering game-play with in-game communication
- Imposing on gamers' attention with communication that doesn't add to the game
- Assuming real-world creative will work within a video game environment
- Considering "advergames" as an inexpensive way of reaching a gaming audience.
People:
Fran Kennish (fran.kennish at mecglobal.com) is senior partner, director of strategic planning at MEC MediaLab, part of Mediaedge:cia.
Questions:
- How to integrate brands into worlds that are not originally "brand-friendly", such as fantasy environments?
- If an ad or a branded item fits too seamlessly into the game, will it be overlooked and it's desired effect minimized?
Friday, March 3, 2006
Machinima Piece Inspired by Advertising
This piece of Machinima art uploaded to Dailymotion was apparently inspired by Fallon London's ad for Sony Bravia.
-- via Advergirl, Advertising for Peanuts)
EA To Translate Depeche Mode Song Into Sims Language
Csven points at Next Generation that says that the new "Open for Business" expansion pack for EA's Sims 2 will include a Depeche Mode's "Suffer Well" song translated into Simlish.
Update (March 9, 2006): The video is now on YourTube (link1, link2, via Adverlab). One YourTube caption says the song was re-sung by Dave Gahan and is featured in the new expansion pack.
Update (March 9, 2006): The video is now on YourTube (link1, link2, via Adverlab). One YourTube caption says the song was re-sung by Dave Gahan and is featured in the new expansion pack.
Video Demo of Wells Fargo's Stagecoach Island on Active Worlds
image: screenshot of the Swivel Media's video shows a Wells Fargo ATM
Swivel Media released a video preview (file hosted at Swivel Media, .wmv, ~9Mb) of the new version of Wells Fargo's Stagecoach Island that has recently been moved to ActiveWorlds.
Read more:
- "Revisiting Stagecoach Island" at Second Life Herald
- Original post on Second Life forums
Earlier:
Wells Fargo Opens Advertising Floodgates Into Virtual Life
x-posted on Adverlab
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Uploaded Text: Introduction - 2.The New World
This post is a placeholder for comments on Introduction - 2.The New World.
"You are standing at the door that is about to swing open to reveal sprawling cities, endless highways, virgin forests and other undeveloped property, so utterly devoid of anything branded that it is almost hard on the eyes, and the choice of what to make of it is now yours."
"You are standing at the door that is about to swing open to reveal sprawling cities, endless highways, virgin forests and other undeveloped property, so utterly devoid of anything branded that it is almost hard on the eyes, and the choice of what to make of it is now yours."
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