By advergames, we mean the more or less complex online games that conceal an advertising message.
The advergame is a fusion of two words: "advertising" (advertisement) and "game" (game).
A form of digital marketing that is far from new (the first form of advergaming was Pepsi Invaders) but which, in recent years, has evolved and increasingly convinced major brands to see advergaming as a potential way to increase brand awareness.
Characteristics and types of advergames
The fundamental characteristics and advantages of advergames are:
- Maximum audience engagement: if a banner gives the idea of a passive spectator, the advergame actively involves the user who plays firsthand
- Data Measurability: just like the latest forms of digital marketing, advergaming in its most recent forms allows for the measurement and calibration of data (often through data entry requests)
There are different types of advergames:
- Associative Advergame: a kind of logical connection between the game and the brand somehow expressed (an interactive banner within the game). Many online games (especially sports ones) feature advertising that is immersed in the context of the game itself
- Illustrative Advergame: this form of advergame is designed to promote a product which becomes, in fact, the protagonist of the game. It's the case of Pepsi Invaders, the first advergame in the world. An innovative attempt by Coca-Cola to nibble away at Pepsi's users (we're in 1983) with a game even commissioned to the famous video game company Atari. A simple little game that involved dancing letters forming the word Pepsi, effectively the enemies of the game. Other illustrative advergame examples include the Nesquik game and the one for M&M's, with their respective mascots being an integral part of the games themselves.
- Demonstrative advergame: not just showing off the product but also creating a multimedia trial to demonstrate the advantages of purchasing it. It is a more complex form of advergame. Remarkable examples of demonstrative advergames are The passenger by Nokia (the reliability of Nokia's navigator becomes a game that blends reality and fiction), or McDonald's game which recreates the setting of an interactive fast food where you are the manager of the place.
In conclusion, advergaming is the way big brands advertise themselves in an increasingly engaging, fun, and playful world!
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