RE: ONLINE ADS>>advertising within games

From: Matthew da Silva <mdasilva_at_ibd.yamatake.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 11:02:38 -0500 (CDT)

JIM DATTILO WROTE:
>The idea of branding within a game may be likened to a Pepsi
>ad appearing in a motion picture... that probably
>has a powerful branding effect.

Good copy makes brand awareness. Good products make
satisfied consumers. Good consumers make good brands. At
best, your branding idea will damage brand image in domestic
markets. Overseas, where advertising is less pervasive than
in the U.S., such a gambit would do even more harm.

All advertising needs localization. If you push Coke
through Forrest Gump, it is almost guaranteed that the ploy
will fail to impact on people overseas, mainly because they
can't stomach the self-righteous tone of the worst among
American entertainment products (such as FG). Overseas
consumers, nevertheless, do still want the same game of Doom
as U.S. 'gamers.' Even within domestic 'markets' there are
many subgroups. Their aspirations and self-images may
diverge radically from a stereotype. What you will find,
however, is how receptive are children to advertising, and
how easy it is to capture them for short-term purchases. As
a father of two, I am aware of the fiendishness of TV and
its demonic ability to cause my otherwise intelligent kids
to behave like the possessed. But in the absence of peer
reinforcement my kids are no more prone to the callow
blandishments of American TV as I am to rushing out to buy a
beverage during a commercial break. Your next remark is
true; however a correct verb modifier is 'will,' not 'may.'

> Finally, game players may flinch at the sight of an
> advertisement within a game initially, but if the game is
> exceptional then they won't be turned off by the commercial
> message. As long as it doesn't affect game play, gamers
> will be right there viewing that advertisement every time
> they load up.

Yippee.


Matthew da Silva
Online Solutions, International Business
Yamatake Corporation, Tokyo
mdasilva_at_ibd.yamatake.co.jp

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Received on Wed Jul 28 1999 - 11:19:38 CDT