Advergaming A Brief Overview

Advergaming is the practice of using games, particularly computer games, to advertise or promote a product, organization or viewpoint. (Wikepedia)  Advergames are a combination of advertising and video games. Unlike traditional video games, Advergames involve simple animation and music, and minimal plot development. (Grossman) There are two categories of Advergames: (1) Sponsored and (2) Un-Sponsored. Un-sponsored games are those “intended to interest the player in the game’s subject matter and then cause the player to investigate further”. (Wikepedia) Sponsored games are “provided by a company on their website, in hope of potential customers being drawn to the game, spending more time on the website,” and  enhancing brand awareness. (Wikepedia) Sponsored games predominately place the Company’s featured products predominately.

Why use Advergaming?

Traditional media is losing its appeal. It is less targeted and is getting less and less consumer response. 30 second television commercials, banner ads, and pop-ups are annoying to consumers. Advergames seek to make advertising  an entertainment activity. “They are branded interactive entertainment experiences that generate buzz and keep consumers coming back for more. Electronic games are capturing a larger share of consumer time, at the expense of traditional media.” (Advergame) “Advertising needs to be about interactivity and community, which are also some of the core components of gaming. Many industries are starting to consider gaming as an advertising medium, but the industry is in the infancy of developing programs and packages that allow integration of brands or sponsors.” (Brand Strategy) Advergames also allow Companies reach their desired target markets in a more interactive, segmented way. The primary target markets that Advergames appeal to are as follows: adult women, adult men, teenagers, and families with children.