If you have to explain it, don't do it
Not everyone can tell a good joke. Conversely, not everyone gets a good joke even when it's delivered perfectly. Everyone has had to explain a joke immediately after telling it. The lesson we learn? If you have to explain it, it's not funny anymore.
The same holds true for product integration. How you integrate your brand into other media should make sound strategic sense. If you have to explain the connection, you may have explored a new medium because you "can" and not because you "should."
Advergaming is a relatively new vehicle for brands to wrap themselves around an interactive experience. But it doesn't make sense for every brand to do it. Brands should work closely with the game developers and designers to ensure a meaningful brand experience, not just logo placement.
BMW's MINI brand has become quite adept at turning itself into a fun gaming experience. The company has experimented with advergaming since the emergence of the medium, and its latest branded game shows that BMW has learned a lot.
MINI's new Jump Game is a fantastic twist on the long jump. The right combination of speed and angle of your jump lands the user in the driver's seat of a great looking convertible MINI. The graphics are rich, the motion is smooth and the game captures the fun of driving a MINI convertible.
The branded games created for USA's Monk use the main character's quirk -- his OCD -- as the central theme of the games. From rubbing out fingerprints to swatting a fly away from dinner, the user is challenged to complete the same simple tasks that drive Monk crazy during his day-to-day life.
Embedding your brand passively in video games can also be a non-intrusive way to keep your brand in front of your audience without interfering with game play. Since there are vending machines in the hallways of office buildings in the real world, it makes perfect sense for them to be in a gaming environment as well. Third-party research has shown lift in brand awareness, ad recall and product interest without the use of traditional rich media, video or other engaging media.
Non-intrusive in-game embedding
We've learned a lot about advergaming over the past few years, so I'll use this old advergame for Kellogg's Nutri-Grain as an example of a missed opportunity.
This dune buggy game moves smoothly, has good graphics and is challenging and fun enough for some repeat business. But without the copy from the expandable banner -- "Rev up your engines with Nutri-Grain. For high performance fuel. You only get out what you put in" -- there's a disconnect between the brand and the game.
We know that Nutri-Grain is healthy, so why are we driving instead of riding a bike? The game also demands enough attention to prevent anyone from really absorbing the subtle branding during game play.
