Advertising comes into play

In-game advertising The
Advertisers react when the relevant target group spends less and less time in front of
TV, but spends hours with the games console and on the computer.
Approaching a trend.
How quickly times change: Still
In 1989, Philip Morris sued the video game manufacturer Sega because
this unauthorized advertising for Marlboro cigarettes along the
virtual circuits in the car racing game "Super Monaco Grand Prix"
had placed. Today, 17 years later, companies are paying
six-figure sums to advertise their products on digital platforms.
billboards in computer and video games. From the
brutal shooter game "Counterstrike" to the harmless
Family fun with "The Sims" - the billboards are emblazoned with well-known
Brands in the digital landscapes.

In-game advertising is particularly credible in game environments that
are familiar to us from everyday life. For example, in reality simulations
like "The Sims" or in sports games à la "Fifa 06". A stadium with
neutral gangs? Unimaginable. Less suitable as advertising space are
on the other hand, fantasy or historical games. A Coca-Cola can now fits
not in a medieval setting. But in general: different
than on TV, advertising in games does not interrupt the action, it leaves
they even appear more credible. "As long as the advertising is not
is intrusive, it doesn't bother anyone," says David Schneider, for example,
Organizer of so-called Lan-Parties, large computer game tournaments.

Still young and male
With several hundred million dollars in annual advertising expenditure for
In-game advertising is the genre of choice over traditional advertising
still have a marginal existence. The real and forecast
However, growth rates are pointing steeply upwards. A key factor,
which favors this development are the changed
Media consumption habits. "For three to four years now, we have
a change in media usage among 18- to 34-year-olds," says
André Sonder from IGA Worldwide, a leading marketer of
In-game advertising. "This group spends a large part of their
free time with computer and video games - at the expense of the
TV consumption." A development that can also be observed in Switzerland.
even if only to a lesser extent than in the USA or other countries.
Germany.

Another reason for this advertising trend is the sharp rise in
Development costs for the games. Experts estimate amounts in the
range of ten to twenty million dollars per title. "By
game content is supplemented by financially strong brands, the
commercial risk. However, the games are only financed
five percent through advertising," says Martin Radelfinger, Managing
Director of Adlink Switzerland (see also interview).

Billion-euro business forecast
This is set to change, if the forecasts of experts are to be believed.
In-game advertising revenue growth rate of 40 percent in the current year
some say a billion dollar volume in four years 
others. "Until then, in-game advertising will be a fully-fledged mass medium.
accepted and manages to be included in the brands' media planning as a
standard advertising medium," believes André Sonder from
IGA Worldwide.

In Switzerland, the genre only plays a marginal role. Today
The advertising orders for in-game advertising came almost exclusively from
of agencies with international clients, says Martin Radelfinger. "The
However, the decision is made by a local agency." Adlink is
as an agent for computer and online game advertising since 2004
active. For the first time in Switzerland, customers were able to advertise in
of the commercial online youth community habbohotel.ch. Used
have the offer film rentals that are available in the virtual hotel landscape.
have used pixel posters to draw attention to the next cinema releases.

Since then, the genre has been used here in Germany on various occasions.
have been used. Most recently in a variant with static, fixed
integrated elements in "Ski Challenge", the SF Schweizer Fernsehen
offered for download on its website. The game sponsors
Swisscom and "Winterthur" were on the virtual ski slopes with
perimeter advertising present. We will see more of this in the future.

Nick Lüthi