Standing up for what I believe.

About a month ago I decided to put my computer on this drafting table. The reason being, I get sluggish when I sit around all day. I and don't want to be all fat and lazy from having an office job. Walking to work is about the only exercise I get. So, over the last month I'm more awake at work, I don't procrastinate as much because if I need something... I'm already up. On the down side my legs are constantly tight, and I feel some discomfort in my legs, mostly after 12hr days. I'm more limber now, cause I've started stretching in the mornings and when my computer is loading something. Click here to see the picture bigger.

Like a Glove

Ok, I've seen a million tongue n' cheek ads, but this Manix Gel ad takes the cake for subtlety. Click here to enlarge.

Agency: BDDP et Fils, Boulogne Billancourt - France

Advertiser: Manix

Product: Lubricant gel

Ad: "The Harbour"

Photographer: Vincent Dixon

Headline: Manix gel - high power lubrication

Neo-Gamers Pt 1

As TV slips, and everyone is prospecting over the Post-Superbowl advertising world, video games are poised. This makes me happy because I've been pitching product and ad placement in video games for 4 years now. Thanks mostly to the puberty-stricken-teen males coming into their own (myself included). These core 18-35 male gamers are now buying Jeeps, talking on Erickson cells, and jamming out with their iPods. The potential grows every day as video games become ubiquitous and mainstream.

As we gamers begin to take over the world, the industry is waking up or being replaced by us. According to Yahoo! News the advertising potential could grow to $1 billion in ad dollars. For good reason, product placements offer what no ads or movies can - interaction. For instance, gamers must interact with products to advance to the next level. In Tony Hawks Underground 2 gamers must interact with a Jeep. Nielson is getting into the game by measuring how many times the jeep is seen or used, which should put a smile on the face of number crunchers in the ogilvy camp.

This is really exciting as people will be able to "test-drive" products and services before using them. Why not demo thousands of cars in simulation-esk games such as Project Gotham 2. Hell, I just about have my next car purchase in mind after playing that game.

NextGen games could be web enabled to deliver info such as current sticker prices and rebates in a soft sale mode. Gamers love realism, why not augment the games with real life. Stream real radio into the games, with ads intact. Or serve up custom radio stations where servers collect users patterns to deliver user preferred musical genres and ads to match. Lets say I spend a lot of time driving a Porsche, why not hit me up with radio ads about where I could get a test drive. Even in remote Peoria, IL where I live. Yes, the big brother implications are kind of scary, but games offer a suspension of disbelieve where sales pitches can become narrative in quality. Advertisers, lets don't be too transparent with this one, or we'll end up with the waste land that is Reality TV.

This interaction opens up all kinds of doors. Cross promotion for instance. Apple and Nintendo should partner up to offer a virtual iPod as the music console on the up coming Nintendo Revolution console. Just think, users would get to play around with a slick 3d iPod that they wished they had, and could buy music off iTunes through Nintendo's web access. I would suggest Apple partner with Sony's PS2 or Microsoft's Xbox, but what are the odds of that.

According to the same Yahoo! report, gamers in the upcoming Everquest 2 will be able to satisfy their instant gratification pizza craving by clicking an in-game button. 30 minutes (or less) a Pizza Hut pizza is at their door.

The possibilities seem endless.

Reference: Yahoo! News

Neo-Gamers Pt 2

Let me run down a simple classification of product placement in film before I lay down some potential for games. (Wish I still had notes from my Introduction to Film class).

1. Typical product placement - products, usually logo baring, are visible on screen.

2. Product interaction - this could be positive and negative, where actors interact with a product/brand. One infamous example showed Americans drinking Pepsi, but the evil Red Chinese drinking Coke.

3. Story lines written around products - the text book example for this one is the Tom Cruise movie, in which he's asked how did he know what stocks to buy? He responds by holding up Fortune Magazine and saying "The bible told me." The producers wrote the line to attract advertisers, and actually managed a bidding war between Fortune and Forbes.

Ok, now to video games.

1. Product Placement - Erickson phones in the hands of elite spies.

2. Product Interaction - Drive a Jeep or Ford or ferrari.

3. Virtual Ads: Everything from billboards, radio or tv styled spots, virtual print ads to virtual store fronts. This pretty much means a brave new virtual world of advertising as we know it. Many games have fake ads for realsism. How about real realsim.

4. Advertising Driven Story/Concept - "Advergames" aka anything from Lucas Arts. This also brings to mind cartoons created just to sell a product.

5. Direct Response (Virtual and Offline) - Players preferences can deliver custom ads. Say I consistently drive a Porsche Boxter in Project Gotham and have filled out a servey online in order to logon Xbox Live, wah la, I get a post card in the mail (or email) with a star burst exclaiming, "Test drive a Porche Today!"

6. Cross Promotions - ie Apple and Nintendo teaming up to offer virtual iPod and iTunes.

7. Merchandising - If we can learn anything from Lucas, its Merchandising. Games create Fan Boys, and Brand driven games will create Brand Boys. People go nuts over Starwars, Mario and Laura Croft, and she doesn't demand a dressing room.

Offline integrated marketing opportunities are also exciting. While at Square One, Inc, we pitched a sweepstakes to our client Dr. Pepper who had partner Nintendo to offer a chance to win your face on a video game character. All you had to do was drink Dr. Pepper for your chance to win.

Glen

I think the Glen Starbucks commercial was the best TV commercial of 2004. Glen. Glen Glen Glen. Survivor gets back into the pop icon buisness. Check it out: glen.mp3 

Like a Virgin

It's about time I joined the Blogosphere. If only there was spell check. Sweet this thing has one!

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