Today I met with Rajat Paharia, the founder of Bunchball. Bunchball is really cool Flash-based leisure game site enabling users to cut and paste games like Pac Man, Astroids etc directly to their blogs and websites. Users can the play with each other as well directly through the blogs. The Bunchball games also have a very nice and simple Chat function as well enabling gamers to chat with each other.
I see great potential for this type of "social-gaming" applications from branded games and dating services to building communities within blogs and websites. Bunchball also have some very cool photo slideshows, radiostations and shout boxes – all based on the same concept, and very simple to add to blogs.
Visa USA has entered into the world of video-game advertising with a PC game based on the CBS hit “CSI” that hits stores today. Although the Visa brand is also incorporated into signage and other background elements of the game, the really smart thing is the way Visa actually became a central part of the plot: In one of the five criminal cases that make up the game, “CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder,” Visa’s fraud-monitoring capabilities take center stage when a suspicious charge on a victim’s credit card triggers an investigation by the forensic-sciences team.
I think that is really a smart way of incorporating a brand into the story. The idea came from game publisher Ubisoft who worked together with Visas media buying agecny OMD to build the script. Another interesting aspect of it is what Jon Raj, VP-advertising and emerging media platforms, Visa USA said, that Visa is actively seeking out the emerging media where consumers are spending an increasing amount of time. “Our consumers are shifting their habits,” he said. “Just throwing out a TV or radio spot doesn’t work anymore. We need to look at new ways,” citing platforms such as cellphones, interactive TV, digital-video recorders and in-game integrations.
Hey big media guys, did you hear “TV or radio spots dosen’t work anymore”…It is good to see that such a “serious” brand like Visa, dares to think outside the box and look for smarter advertising solutions.
Tags: Visa Tags: In-Game Advertising Tags: Games Tags: Advertising Tags: Ads Tags: CBS Tags: CSI Tags: OMD Tags: Ubisoft Tags: TV Tags: Emerging Media Tags: Media
According to a fresh Industry Note from Piper Jaffray, strength in advertising suggest a robus year ahead in China. Although both online as well as other channels of advertsing appears to be strong, online seems to be gainging share from traditional media such as print. Piper Jaffray, also reports that although Beijing Olympics is still two years away, the buzz is already taking place, and this might serve as a catalyst for increased advertiser spending. The most important factor will be increased consumer spending on FMCG (fast moving consumer goods). Search will be another strong beneficiary of the growth as more online content and transaction based companies turn to search. (guess if Maxthon will benefit from this….). I attached some key China Statistics from 2005, that might be of interest.
Tags: China Tags: Advertising Tags: Piper Jaffray Tags: Online Tags: Search Tags: Maxthon Tags: Beijing Olympics
I love this! Like Adrant’s rightfully points out, this is true brand love! It’s all advertising , leads us to a couple of links featuring people performing their love for Nintendo, all without logo, brand name of irritating announcer. Or what do you say about this:
- Chourus singing for Nintendo (with some great moves)
- Group acting out a Nintendo game
- A very talented guy playing Super Mario on a 11-string bass!
Can you get a better brand recognition than this? I really believe this is one of the futures in branding, people naturally engaging and acting out their love for the brand. Furthermore, it’s all natural and comes from the heart. A lot of lessons embedded here for advertisers and their agencies…
Tags: Advertising Tags: Nintendo Tags: Super Mario Tags: 11-string bass Tags: Branding Tags: Marketing Tags: PR Tags: Media Tags: Music
Here’s an interesting story from CNET:
If Walt Disney has its way, McDonald’s Happy Meal toys could be replaced with portable media players that hold Disney movies, music, games or photos, according to a pending patent application. Users could add files to the devices by earning points with food purchases. The plan could work something like this: A customer enters a restaurant and buys a meal, receiving the portable media player and an electronic code that authorizes a partial download of a movie, video or other media file, which can be downloaded while in the restaurant, according to a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office application filed by Disney. Then, with each subsequent return, the customer earns more downloadable data, eventually getting an entire movie or game.
Smart way for Disney to reach out to the kids. Now the kids will want to go to McDonalds even when they are not hungry…
Technorati Tags: Disney, McDonalds, Advertising, Media, Movie
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