The Games Issue 🎮 - Carney
The Daily Carnage

The Games Issue 🎮

Advergaming, in-game advertising, and other plays that win.

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Adobe Generative Fill Prompt: Robot playing Sudoku

Solve This Puzzle

We made our own version of the popular NYT Connections puzzle.

This week’s topic is Digital Marketing.

If you give it a try, share your results on LinkedIn and tag us.

TDC Connections: Digital Marketing

Why Advergaming Wins

Advergaming is the integration of branded content into games to promote a product, service, or brand message. The tactic has a long tradition—from Atari in the 80s and CD-ROMS in the 90s to flash web games in the 00s and smart phone apps today.

It’s more than just slapping a logo on a game. It’s about creating an opportunity for players to connect with a brand story.

Advergames work because they are: 

  • Interactive: Participation leads to deeper engagement and retention of the brand message.
  • Immersive: Players are focused on the content and receptive to advertising.
  • Lasting: Good advergames have a long shelf life.
  • Targeted: Advergames can be tailored to a specific audience.
  • Nostalgic: Cultural references and elements from older games create positive emotions, forming immediate bond with players.
  • Habit-Forming: Compelling game mechanics, reward systems, daily challenges, or competitive leaderboards keep gamers coming back.

What kind of advergame will work best for your brand?

  1. Product Placement / In-game Advertising
  2. Branded Games
  3. Interactive Ads
  4. Sponsorship Games
  5. Social Media Games
  6. VR And AR Games
  7. Mini-Games

Level up with more intel from Brame.

Do Ya Know?

Check your answer below!

This is considered the first advergame, released in 1983.

Spellbound

Increase engagement and conversions by embedding interactive widgets in your emails.

Users can play games, respond to quizzes, leave reviews, cast votes, answer surveys, rate items, and more directly from the inbox—so you can reduce churn and track in-email engagement rates instead of link clicks.

Spellbound uses a no-code designer tool and plays nice with your vendors and ESP. Magic.

Ads from the Past

Town Hall, 1980s

Town Hall, 1980s

Did Ya Know?

Answer: Pepsi Invaders by Coca-Cola.

That’s right, not only was Coca-Cola ahead of the times by investing in a gaming experience, but the brand used the opportunity to take a shot at its biggest competitor. You can play the original Atari game here.

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