Puma's In-game Product Placement

We've been doing a lot of research around the possibilities for in-game advertising here at scenarioDNA, so I finally have gotten around to giving a bit of a review to the recent Puma integration into Activision's True Crime, New York City.

Overall the ad placement is much better than the usual billboard ads and thankfully no interstitial.  Where Puma trips up though is how some of the placement is written into the game play.  You can find Puma sneakers throughout the game and unlock special features.  I'm not sure that this has a long term benefit.  It will likely alienate the core of gamers.  They are savvy to the process of game development.  What could be worse than game play that is pushed on a developer for a placement?  It is similar to brands being written into TV shows artificially. It always ends up seeming contrived and puts the overall placement into question. I think the only player who might really respond to this form of placement is likely to be too young to buy the sneakers anyway.

What works much better is the more simple use of puma clothes and integrating it into purchases that the character makes throughout the game.  The goal should always be to avoid pushing too hard.   

Another placement that comes off without seeming to heavy-handed, is a quick "Hello Moto" reference in one of the lines of dialogue.  It is uttered ny a character using their mobile phone. An example of culturally embedding a brand first so it can be referenced believably in other media. Not a bad placement.

What needs to be mentioned is the Activision really went all out in creating a very realistic model of New York City.  The brand of NYC is very well placed in this game.  The detail of streets and buildings is quite astonishing.  Maybe Puma should take more notice of that kind of integration.  Gamers respond to this kind of nuance much more than contrived "power-ups".  Think bigger and get more creative in getting their attention.  The overall impression of this effort though gives me some optimism as to where this form of advertising can go. 

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Veeeeery long exposure (BBDO Lab)