A brief history of video game marketing
In the early 1990s and 2000s, big brands attracted young gamers by creating branded video games. Two memorable companies did this: Chex Mix and Burger King.
1996: Chex Mix, Chex Quest In 1996, when children began playing video games on their parents ’computers, Chex decided to delight the young audience by putting the game on a CD called Chex Quest at the bottom of Chex’s mixing boxes.
In the intergalactic game, players control a space hero named Chex Man, who fights against green aliens who cover their enemies with slime. The game had a variety of difficulty levels and challenges, including a maze full of aliens. In order for Chex Man to remain strong and healthy in the fight against aliens, players had to find him and guide him to foods like Chex Mix fruits and boxes.
On a deeper level, the game told a commercially similar story of how heroes and astronauts eat a healthy breakfast like Chex Mix. Not only was this game creative, it also won many major promotional awards. In 1996, the video game received Gold Effect for its advertising effectiveness. In 1998, he won the Golden Reggie Award for advertising.
2006: Burger King tagged games
Ten years after Chex Quest, Burger King also realized that the audience liked the playmates. In 2006, the restaurant chain began its first experiment in the world of video games by choosing one of the Xbox brand of three games: PocketBike Racer, Sneak King or Big Bumpin ’in the form of inexpensive dinners. Customers can also purchase games for $ 3.99.
Each branded game or promotional game had a Burger King mascot and a burger theme. Basically, all the games created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky were like interactive ads that entertained the players and reminded them of Burger King.
In Sneak King, for example, players show the role of “king,” which looks like a Burger King mascot. Players then had to deliver Burger King meals to other characters. The game was entertaining for gamers, but it also detailed menu items and Burger King branding, as in the ad.
In the first weeks after the release, Sneak King sold about 2.7 million copies of the ad game, turning the campaign into a successful ROI and profit for Crispin Porter & Bogusky. The campaign also won the Clio Award when Burger King said it boosted the chain’s overall sales.
Here’s the Sneak King trailer:
The current state of in-game advertising Since the days of Chex Quest and Sneak King, games and consoles have changed a lot. Not only do video games look amazing visually, but many online games and Wi-Fi consoles bring players and strangers around the world together.
With the development of games, video game marketing has evolved. Marketers have lobbied players to create a full-branded video game, but big brands can now copy traditional strategies like influencer marketing, product placement, and native advertising to suit the gaming industry.
