The Internet has done many wonderful things but it's also enabled some elaborate, not completely above board marketing efforts such is the insertion of geographically targeted Subway ads into an online game without the knowledge of Valve, the game's creator. Read the convoluted story and the intricate chain of agencies and vendors involved in this campaign which, while Valve wasn't happy about it, was an admirable effort, legal issues aside.
It takes a lot to amuse us but this game promoting job site dice.com did the trick. It's the classic "your boss sucks" game where you get to take out your aggression following a bosses cocky, buzz-word laden tirade. Don't miss the pizza launcher in the Project manager's office.
Random Culture points to Disaffected, an anti-advergame of sorts in that, rather than lauding a brand, it pokes fun at a brand. It was created by Persuasive Games to show distaste for the apparent lack of competence displayed by FedEx Kinko's workers. As described on Persuasive's site, "Disaffected! gives the player the chance to step into the demotivated position of real FedEx Kinkos employees. Feel the indifference of these purple-shirted malcontents first-hand, and consider the possible reasons behind their malaise - is it mere incompetence? Managerial affliction? Unseen but serious labor issues?"
While there are plenty of brand hate sites out there, Persuasive Games created the game to demonstrate that all advergames don't have to be all about brand love. We haven't played the game nor do we know if this is a first but we do like the idea. Gotta love dissent.
Candy maker Jelly Belly has launched an advergame called Taste the Mystery visitors can play after entering an access code found on select packages of Jelly Belly containing a mystery jelly bean. ON the site, the visitor then guesses the flavor of the new bean, play games, snag wallpaper and send e-cards. Winners of the contest are eligible to win $100,000, a Mini Cooper and/or an iPod shuffle. That might make the game worth playing.
Placing the code on packaging does a nice job of driving sales even though, as with any sweeps, no purchase is necessary. But, similar to frustrating rebate procedures, entrants who wish to play but not purchase have to do a little extra work by sending in the proverbial self-addressed postage stamped envelope with a handwritten note requesting a code. Much easier to just by a bag. Anyway, we like the promo. Los Angeles-based Zugara created the original artwork, concepting and animation for the site.
Hostway, the hosting company that brought us Bob's Cube has, with the help of Fifteen Letters, created another cube-like online environment called Leroy the Hand which features, yes, a talking hand. Apparently, talking hand Leroy Koslowski is an under appreciated sibling of a famous advertising icon who has found success becoming the spokeshand for Hostway. There's all sorts of things to check out in Leroy's room including videos of how he started his career, self-help books for hands, a memory book with all sorts of hand-related stuff, a book manuscript, a rock paper scissors game, a GE Pen-like drawing board where visitors can create a drawing and view other's drawings, a link to Bob's Cube of course and some unintentional product placements. It kept us busy for a while and that's saying a lot.
Mennen has hooked up with Maxim to promote its Speed Stick deodorant with a series of whack videos illustrating the extreme dedication certain people have to certain sports. One guy is freakishly into ping pong and another goes nuts for air hockey. In December, we'll meet a wiffle ball freak. The videos are imbued with a nonchalant, "this is so normal" tone that seems to work. The site also has an online air hockey game and a chance to win a VIP sports weekend. As is required with anything Maxim and sports related, the site also carries the ubiquitous images of the dream girl hottie for viewing pleasure.
A Netherlands agency, Achtung, has created an online game called PakMan, which mimics the old video game PacMan and is a promotional element for Netherlands suit maker SuitSupply. In the game, Pakman, the player, is running in his underwear. His mission is to save Angel from Fatman. When eating the magic pills, Pakman gets superpower from his suit and is able to kick Fatman's ass. Rescuing Angel in each level gives the player a voucher for a tie, a shirt or a complete free suit. It's fun and it gets bodies into the store.
Virgin has launched a game on Heavy called exercise your muscle which calls for players to, as they name indicates, exercise their brain and music muscles to identify the 74 bands represented in an image on the game's page. There's a magnifying glass that can be rolled over the images for greater detail. Game prizes include an Alienware computer and one free year of music from VirginDigital, MP3 players with one year subscriptions to VirginDigital and one year subscriptions to Paste Magazine. Only true music aficionados need play. This one is a challenge and will keep you delightfully engaged for hours.
OK, so maybe we don't like the new Sprint Together With Nextel thing but we absolutely love the company's Entertainment Anytime cab ride experience that promotes Sprint's Powervision network which consists of video, news, music, games TV and other goodies for your cell phone. This little piece of amusement resembles that of HBO's Taxi Cab Confessions except there's no confessing and it's all G rated. Basically, the keys on your keyboard become devices through which to add a bit of entertainment to a usually boring cab ride all while making an analogy to Sprint's far better choice of entertainment on its cell phone network. Perhaps we'll forgive them for all that yellow and inane combo-branding strategy.
Either we suck at games or this thing just doesn't work so we'll let you give it a go. Mercury has launched an online game in which you set traps to prevent people from driving off with your new Mercury vehicle. Go ahead. See if you can save your car. OK, we did get a few points but we still suck.
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