Garfield the cat has entered the virtual world, lending his likeness and stuff to the flock of MiniEgo users.
MiniEgo is the virtual community developed by digital agency Studicom. The deal with Paws, Inc., the creative house that manages the global business concerns for the Garfield comic strip, lets users interact with Garfield characters and configure avatars with Garfield inspired characteristics, such as a feline smile or branded T-shirt. Users can also hang out in venues that appear in the comic strip like John’s house or the fence in the alley where Garfield sings and dances.
Once the avatars are created, they can be inserted into animated downloads such as mini-cards that can then be shared with friends.
“Brand integration with an existing virtual world is a great value proposition for brands looking to capitalize on the popularity, engagement and brand immersion factors of online environments, without the full development costs,” Juan Pablo Gnecco, the CEO of Studiocom, said in a release.
On miniego.com a clip that looks like a mini comic strip show Garfield with a balloon over his head that reads: “Anytime you see me around the site, click on me for a special surprise.”
The site has about 30,000 registered users, according to spokesperson.
Next week the virtual world will also be promoted on the Garfield.com Web site.
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