What are some interesting, different, out-there, and fun marketing strategies that grab and keep attention?

Well, one thought that comes to my mind is the concept of playing games. Both adults and children alike, enjoy game playing. They like the competitiveness of the game, the anticipation of who will win, and the feeling that accompanies being the victor of the match. Upon this realization, I decided to do a search regarding my inquiry. To my surprise, I discovered that there was actually a technique in which advertising through games was possible.

The technical term I stumbled upon was In-game advertising. And it’s meaning was being able to advertise through the means of games. Both online games, computer desktop games, and video games all have a media outlet for promoting a service or product to a specific audience.

According to individuals on Wikipedia,

“In-game advertising is seen by some in the games industry as offering a new revenue stream, allowing developers to offset growing development costs and to take more risks in gameplay. Advertisers see in-game advertising as a prime way to target the male 18-34 demographic, who are increasingly neglecting television in favour of computer and video games. However, some gamers see these moves as greedy and invasive, dubbing in-game advertising software as spyware.”

Possible ways in which In-game advertising occurs is through product placement. In some games, products are placed meticulously throughout the background or along walls or billboards. Such examples appear in sports games when athletic products are displayed, or an ESPN emblem is placed in just the right place to gain attention, but not draw away from the game.

Many other examples exist out there, but I am going to let you do the digging and report what you come up with. Good luck scouting out those In-game advertisements!!