Brands and video games in 2022: our top picks
It is no news that the role of video games in media consumption is becoming more and more protagonic, and the advertising industry reflects this trend. This past year, advertisers and organizations of all kinds took advantage of the tools Gaming offers to generate powerful bonds with their audiences.
Everyone plays video games: they’re a medium that binds us together and allows us to share our interests, as well as start conversations. And what better than sparking conversations to connect with consumers? Our top picks of 2022 focused on using Gaming to engage in conversation with users.
Let’s see how it’s done:
Inclusion through Gaming
Inclusion has been a hot topic for audiences for several years now. In consequence, advertisers are reviewing their communication strategies, and more and more companies are updating their accessibility policies. This trend is only getting stronger, which is why we deem it important to give recognition to actions that are fostering change.
E-nterpreters
E-nterpreters is a campaign by Peruvian beer Pilsen Callao that sought to shed light on the situation of non-hearing gamers. By means of a character on the side of the screen, the tool, designed by the brand together with Cirsys and Fahrenheit DDB, translates gamers’ real-time conversations into sign language.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because it invites us to come up with new strategies that combine technology and creativity to solve problems. In addition, making the Gaming experience available to more people is a big win for Pilsen Callao.
Mindcraft
According to the World Health Organization, between 8 and 12% of the world population is dyslexic or affected by a language disorder on the same spectrum. For this reason, Puissance Dys, a French NGO devoted to spreading awareness about this matter, launched Mindcraft: a Minecraft world designed to understand how the mind of people with dyslexia works.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world, and it features a whole area dedicated to learning in which the campaign relied on to raise awareness about an issue affecting a great number of people.
A match against cancer
At the beginning of 2022, in the context of International Childhood Cancer Day and IESA’s Copa Élite, the Pérez Scremini foundation invited esports competitors to raise awareness about cancer.
The Copa Élite players were invited to shave their avatar’s head, go out on the field and play a Match against Cancer. The goal of this campaign was to pay homage to children and teenagers fighting against this disease. The foundation’s message reached spaces where this issue is not generally addressed — such as media dedicated to sports — and streams with plenty of users.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because it taught us that not much is needed to generate a great impact: simply changing the appearance of the characters in a game can make a campaign blow up and reach tons of people.
Hacking the context
Historically, it has become a tradition that the most striking campaigns are the ones that “hack” both expectations and the media they’re in. Here are some campaigns that dared to be clever to widen their reach.
Tag: The Game
Unilever’s Persil presented a trailer for the video game Tag: The Game. So, what is it about? It’s just the good old tag, also known as tig or it, one of the most popular playground games in the world. The trailer, made with Unreal Engine, features a group of children playing tag with hyper realistic graphics, and the following message to top it off: “Only available in real life”.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because from the very beginning, the trailer makes us think that it’s about the biggest AAA game of the year. However, the final message together with Persil’s logo and “Dirt is good” reveal that the trailer was a hoax. The grin on our faces the moment we realized is one of the most powerful tools advertisers can have.
The Billboard Label
Coca-Cola has had a front row seat at the World Cup for 44 years now. We all expect to see their ads during matches, but an innovative campaign together with Buffalo Wings and VMLY&R Commerce brought a whole new level of interactivity last year. Users were encouraged to use their phones to scan Coca-Cola billboards and obtain a discount on the Buffalo Wings stores.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because gamified OOH advertising is one of the major trends shaping the world of advertising nowadays. Making the most of it during one of the biggest events in the world is definitely the right move to generate a strong impact on the audience.
Metaverse
Who isn’t curious about the metaverse? The pandemic triggered the appearance of new trends in technology, and brands didn’t take long to understand that the metaverse is a universe full of opportunities. Here are some of the most interesting phenomena going on in this unexplored world.
Welcome to the Cretaverse
Hard to define, the metaverse is generally understood as a conjunction of platforms that is constantly online. One of the main platforms in the new web 3.0 is Decentraland. This is why Hyundai chose it for the launch of their new SUV, welcoming the Cretaverse with everything a real-world launch would include.
Why did we pick this campaign? The brand, together with the agency From, knew how to read the interests of metaverse users and transform them into a powerful action. Not only did they bring attention to the launch of a new product, but they also rewarded participants with NFTs featuring the brand’s image.
Los Santos +3°C
How much time do we spend in virtual worlds? How much time will we spend per day in the metaverse? Will we be so immersed in it that we’ll forget about the problems that trouble us outside the virtual universe? Greenpeace fed off this insight and, in an attempt to escape escapism, presented Los Santos +3°C: a GTA V event where players could face the consequences of global warming in Los Santos, a city based in Los Angeles.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because it brings an offline controversy over to the metaverse, inviting us to cross the boundaries between the two worlds. Through a harmless virtual simulation, the campaign gives a strong message about the world surrounding us.
An offline purchase, an online benefit
Speaking of the links between the offline and online worlds, how can advertisers make use of them? Offering digital benefits in exchange for purchases. Find the cases that fed off this idea and impressed us below.
Burger Six, Going Dark
For the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Burger King released a promo across 39 markets. With the purchase of a Call of Duty Whopper Meal, customers could redeem an in-game skin and an hour of Double XP playing time.
Why did we pick this campaign? Because even if all of us are gamers, brands sometimes struggle to speak to this audience in its own language. But Burger King understood that receiving a virtual asset and an experience boost is something gamers greatly appreciate.
Scratch Boards
In one of the most creative campaigns of 2022, Scratch Boards promoted the launch of the video game Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2. What was it about? Activision sold special skate boards with codes to use inside the game. The codes were available only once the board had been used enough and the paint had started to come off: the codes to get new characters and materials in the game hid beneath the top paint layer.
Why did we pick this campaign? In this case, it’s not just a purchase what gives gamers a reward in the virtual world. More than that, it’s about a concept that connects online and offline worlds organically: to skate in the game, you have to skate in real-life.
What does the future hold?
Last year proved that advertisers and agencies are constantly in the search for new strategies to reach their target audiences. Nowadays, Gaming is an essential tool to achieve this, and, above all, build strong connections.
With a new year already here, what will new advertisements bring to the table? What new strategies and creative ideas does 2023 have to offer?
