Tag: games
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GSD&M Turns AI Learning into a Staff Showdown
At GSD&M, AI upskilling isn’t just another item on the to-do list—it’s a leaderboard-worthy competition. The agency took a DIY approach to integrating AI across all departments, driven by a small trio of internal evangelists who audited workflows and mapped AI solutions right into teams’ day-to-day tasks. This wasn’t just a tech initiative from the…
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Munchies vs. Machines: Jack in the Box Levels Up In-App Loyalty
Jack in the Box is blending apocalyptic storytelling and AI-fueled gameplay in its latest customer engagement move, launching “DealQuest: Revenge of the Munchies” inside its mobile app. The game sends users on a choose-your-own-adventure-style quest alongside mascot Jack, battling rogue “AI Munchie Meals” in exchange for real-world meal deals. The deeper players go, the better…
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McDonald’s FC McDo: Gamifying Loyalty Engagement
McDonald’s is enhancing its app strategy through FC McDo, a mobile football game created with Ligue 1 and Publicis Groupe agencies. Featured in the McDo+ app, players navigate obstacles, earn bonuses, and score while wearing jerseys from Ligue 1 clubs. This initiative aims to boost user engagement beyond traditional offerings and revamp the loyalty program…
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Nyx Goes Full High School in Roblox
Nyx Professional Makeup has launched an extensive campaign in Roblox’s Bayside High, engaging Gen Z through interactive experiences like racing challenges and makeup classes. This initiative aims to boost brand awareness rather than direct sales, reflecting a shift in beauty discovery methods, backed by a comprehensive marketing strategy across multiple platforms.
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Weetos Launches Virtual Family Fun on Roblox
Weetos, the playful cereal brand under Weetabix Food Company, is jumping into the digital sandbox with “Weetos World,” a gamified experience on Roblox built in partnership with Fandom. Aimed squarely at kids (and their probably very competitive parents), the project features puzzles, creative zones, and collaborative challenges wrapped inside a virtual world. More than just…
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Driving School, But Make It Fortnite
The General is steering into the world of Fortnite with “Road Test Royale,” a custom gameplay map designed to teach Gen Z players about safe driving—without putting them to sleep. Built with Energy BBDO, Look North World, and Twitch, the map takes players through obstacle-filled versions of Miami, NYC, and San Francisco, where safe driving…
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Roblox’s Green Thumb Moment: “Grow a Garden” Propels Platform Into Prime Time
Roblox just pulled off a feat that deserves a spot in gaming’s record books. “Grow a Garden,” a farming sim, clocked an eye-watering 21.6 million concurrent players—putting it ahead of Fortnite’s legendary 2020 Galactus event. Unlike the competition, this Roblox game didn’t need a one-night-only gimmick to rake in numbers; it’s just users logging in…
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Shop ‘Til Your Avatar Drops: Roblox Ties Real-World Retail into Virtual Play
Roblox is taking in-game buying power to a new level by letting avatars and their human counterparts shop for actual physical products. Now, creators and brands can sell real-world items directly through Roblox experiences via new Commerce APIs, while a separate program adds digital perks to real-life purchases. With 97.8 million daily users already snapping…
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Chipotle Gets Spicy in the Metaverse for Cinco de Mayo
To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Chipotle is trading margaritas for metaverse magic with a Roblox-based promotion that kicks off on May 5. Dubbed “Ingredient Quest,” the campaign lives inside the brand’s virtual restaurant in Roblox’s Burrito Builder game. Over the course of five days, users will collect digital ingredient cards—each adorned with original artwork—by rolling…
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Fizz Boom Pow: Mentos Weaponizes Its Brand in Fortnite
Mentos is bringing the explosive energy of its classic soda experiment to Fortnite with the debut of the Fizzooka—a branded rocket launcher designed exclusively for Fortnite Creative mode. Developed with BBH London and gaming agency Metavision, the Fizzooka is more than just a gimmick; it’s the first branded tactical item integrated into the game’s sandbox…
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Walmart Builds a Universe—Literally—Inside Minecraft
Walmart’s latest swing at the metaverse sees it heading straight into the blocky world of Minecraft. From March 21 to May 15, the retail giant is hosting a time-limited immersive gaming experience called Skyward, targeting players 13 and older. This isn’t your average branded plug: the narrative-driven adventure has players explore new planets in search…
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Big Macs and Blocky Worlds: McDonald’s Mines New Ground with Minecraft
McDonald’s is digging into new territory with a global campaign that brings its brand into the pixelated world of Minecraft. Timed to the April 4 release of A Minecraft Movie, the fast-food titan—via Wieden+Kennedy New York—is rolling out a hybrid campaign that lives both online and IRL. This includes custom meals, exclusive in-game experiences, and…
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Walmart Levels Up: Shopping in a Video Game?
Walmart is diving deeper into the gaming world with its new interactive miniseries, Walmart Unlimited, on the Spatial platform. This three-part video game allows players to buy real-world products without leaving the virtual space. The first installment focuses on food brands like A Dozen Cousins and Partake Cookies, with future episodes shifting to beauty and…
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Chipotle Rolls Up Sustainability with Roblox and Free Burritos
Chipotle just became the first restaurant brand to debut a national TV ad inside Roblox, blending immersive gaming with its sustainability message. The 60-second animated spot, Unfolded, created by Venables Bell & Partners, takes viewers on a journey through a world made of folded paper. As the scene transforms from industrial farming to colorful, sustainable…
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Metaverse Marketing: The Top 5 Brand Plays Right Now
The metaverse may not be dominating headlines like AI, but brands are still betting big on virtual worlds. The NFL scored a touchdown inside Roblox with an interactive Super Bowl event, letting players take on challenges as the Chiefs or Eagles, earning in-game currency for digital rewards. Meanwhile, Meta continues its push for a mixed-reality…
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Google AI Helps Artist Remix Tradition
British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori has ventured into the digital realm with “Dreaming with Flamingos,” an interactive playground inspired by his physical installation, “Flamboyance of Flamingos,” in London. Collaborating with the Google Arts & Culture Lab, Ilori integrates his passion for storytelling and Nigerian folklore into this digital experience. Players guide a young flamingo through riddles…
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QR Code Wrapping Paper: Clash Royale’s Holiday Twist
Supercell’s Clash Royale has embraced the holiday season with a playful marketing twist in their “Gift Wrap Gift” campaign, designed by DAVID New York. The idea? Wrapping paper that’s also the gift itself. Featuring designs inspired by the game, the paper conceals QR codes offering exclusive in-game rewards like a Royale Chef, emotes, and more.…
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HIGHLIGHTS: November 2024
November was an interesting month, punctuated for me by a nasty wind storm that ripped through the Seattle area, knocking out power for roughly half a million people in the area. We were without power for 4 days. When reliable high-speed connectivity gets scarce, it becomes clear how reliant on it most of us have…
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PepsiCo Expands Multi-year Partnership with EA Sports
PepsiCo and EA have announced an expansion of their partnership, integrating Gatorade into EA Sports FC Mobile for the first time. This collaboration extends PepsiCo’s existing presence in EA Sports FC, which began on console game platforms. Gatorade branding will now feature across in-game assets such as ad boards and virtual cooling equipment, alongside existing…
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Sony Levels Up with In-Game Ads
Sony Electronics recently ventured into in-game advertising to promote its INZONE noise-canceling earbuds, targeting gamers aged 18–44 in Saudi Arabia. Although initially hesitant, Sony saw the campaign as a testing ground for this emerging media channel. The results exceeded expectations, with a reported 42% boost in brand image and a 35% increase in brand consideration,…
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BOSS Unveils Immersive Holiday Shopping Experience
BOSS has entered the holiday season with flair, launching a virtual shopping experience to showcase its merino wool holiday collection. Featuring David Beckham as its ambassador, the campaign highlights an array of stylish essentials like sweaters, scarves, and beanies in luxe merino wool. At the heart of this campaign is an immersive virtual platform created…
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Touchdowns & Tech: Rams Fans Dive into AR Deals with Uber Eats and Princess Cruises
The Los Angeles Rams and Stagwell have teamed up with Princess Cruises and Uber Eats to bring augmented reality (AR) directly to fans during games at SoFi Stadium. Using Stagwell’s ARound platform, fans can engage with two immersive in-stadium AR experiences. Princess Cruises’ activation, “Touchdown Treasure,” transforms the stadium into exotic cruise destinations, like Mexico…
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How Clarks is Using Roblox to Turn Gamers into Shoppers
Clarks is continuing its digital strategy on Roblox by teaming up with Netflix’s Stranger Things, marking another step in its branded experiences on the platform. Known for its PlayPrints Simulator game, Clarks is now offering exclusive Stranger Things-inspired avatar accessories like Green Torhill and Upside Down shoes. Fans can access these items through Unlockables.gg, and…
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Disney Tackles Gen Z with ESPN Football Island in Fortnite
Disney has introduced “ESPN Football Island” on Fortnite, aiming to engage younger audiences with an immersive football-themed world. This new experience includes a variety of football challenges and mini-games, including “Touchdown Rush,” where players work to carry a football past defenders to score a touchdown. Hosted by ESPN’s SportsCenter anchors, the island blends sports content…
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AdAge Top 5 Metaverse Moments – Oct 2024
Check out the latest roundup from AdAge on the Metaverse, featuring: Roblox’s branded virtual world Nike ditches NFTs Hyundai ditches NFTs in a fun way Meta showcases new AR products Roblox takes heat from new report Full story here.
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Twitch launches brand-customizable game in Fortnite
Twitch and Amazon Ads have introduced “The Glitch,” a customizable in-game experience within Fortnite, aimed at engaging brands with the gaming community. Developed by “Halo” co-creator Alexander Seropian, this game allows brands like Domino’s and Peloton to integrate their brands into Fortnite. Twitch streamers will also promote these experiences to its large user base, 70%…
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Dentsu launches “House of Creators” project to support next gen content creation
Dentsu has launched “House of Creators,” a program designed to support next-generation content creators, starting on Roblox. This initiative focuses on accelerating creative talent, integrating intellectual property (IP) into creator projects, and fostering collaborations between brands and creators. With Roblox as a key partner, Dentsu aims to empower about 30 creators by the end 2024,…
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‘Beetlejuice’ Roblox Experience Invites Fans To Buy Real Movie Tickets`
Warner Bros. and Roblox have collaborated on a Beetlejuice-themed experience where fans can immerse themselves in the film’s eerie world through mini-games, puzzles, and exclusive avatar items. In a clever blend of virtual and real-world engagement, users can even purchase movie tickets directly within the experience. This initiative not only revives interest in the Beetlejuice…
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AdAge Top 5 Metaverse Moments July
McDonald’s and Meta are among the brands in this month’s roundup of metaverse marketing moments… Top 5 for July: Ikea hiring metaverse employees Google’s new gaming strategy Restructuring at Meta Reality Labs McDonald’s returns to the metaverse Walmart’s metaverse commerce experiment Full details at Adage.
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e.l.f. Beauty and Walmart testing real-world commerce in Roblox
e.l.f. Beauty has partnered with Roblox to launch a pioneering initiative, blending real-world product purchasing within a virtual gaming environment. This collaboration enables players, specifically in the U.S., to buy a special “Pets Hoodie” that aligns with e.l.f.’s cruelty-free ethos directly through a virtual kiosk powered by Walmart within the Roblox platform. e.l.f. Beauty is…
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Adidas digital collectible sells for record-setting $20k in Roblox
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Should Shopping Malls Include Gamification and Experiential Retail?
RetailWire explores the potential benefits and challenges of integrating gamification and experiential retail into US shopping malls. The conversation highlights how gamification, such as ION Orchard’s augmented reality game within its loyalty app, can transform shopping into an interactive experience, enhancing customer engagement and retention. This approach is seen as a way to keep the…
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Kentucky Tourism Launches Interactive Game to Turn State Landmarks into Kid-Friendly Adventures
Kentucky Tourism has launched “Great Big Kentucky Adventure,” a unique video game aimed at engaging children during family vacations by turning famous state landmarks into game levels. This innovative approach intends to refresh the concept of road trips, integrating attractions like Louisville’s giant baseball bat into a side-scrolling adventure game. This campaign represents an inventive…
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Mediaocean: CTV, GenAI and Social Video are most important trends for marketers
According to a Mediaocean survey, marketers are watching three important consumer trends: CTV / Streaming Generative AI Social video In a survey conducted late last year, marketing companies said their main focus for increasing advertising would be CTV/streaming. Generative AI, which was not even on the survey prior to 2023 came in second with social…
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PacSun promotes presence on Roblox with ads
Pacsun is deepening its engagement on Roblox by launching digital advertising a year after introducing its “Pacsun LA Tycoon” game, which attracts 60,000 monthly users. The company plans to expand its Roblox presence with new L.A.-inspired features to align with its summer campaign, enhancing both virtual and physical customer interactions. This strategic move highlights Pacsun’s…
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Reebok’s new AI tool helps people turn memories into digital sneakers
Reebok Impact introduces a unique virtual experience where users can design custom sneakers incorporating personal photo memories. This initiative, a collaboration between Reebok and Futureverse, enables users to port their digital creations across Fortnite and Roblox. Reebok Impact capitalizes on the popularity of wearables that can be purchased via in-game currencies or rewards points. Rather…