Jeep will promote the placement of its new Jeep four-door Wrangler in a skateboarding video game through a magazine partnership, eBay auction and a sweepstakes.
The automaker is placing its vehicle in a Tony Hawk video game due out next month named Tony Hawk’s Project 8. The video game, created by Activision, is one of a series of games that mimics the skateboarding skills of the real life skateboarder of the same name.
An ad in the November 2nd issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, will drive readers online to an auction on eBay where consumers can bid for a Jeep packed with goodies from other brands that also have products integrated in the video game. Items stuffed into the Jeep include sporting good products like skateboards and snowboards. The highest bidder wins the Jeep. Banner ads on Rolling Stone Magazine’s Web site, visited by 2.5 million users monthly, will also support the campaign.
Consumers will be able to enter a sweepstakes on a soon-to-be-announced Web site for a chance to win the Jeep Wrangler.
Last year, Jeep promoted the integration of the brand in last year’s version of the video game with a secret skateboard park tour. At five skateboard parks across the country, unsuspecting teens were treated to an appearance by Tony Hawk. Jeep activated by showcasing Hawk with its vehicles. Each event drew an average 10,000 onlookers after skateboarders called up their peers informing them that Tony Hawk was at their park. Each event was taped to air later on MTV. A sweepstakes component with ads on MTV to support drew consumers to enter for a chance to win a Jeep. The contest ran during the fall and garnered 24,000 entries. More than 7,000 consumers opted in to receive information on future Tony Hawk Jeep events.
For the upcoming video game release, skateboarding action takes place in environs of a Jeep Wrangler factory.
“What we’ve seen [with the integration] is that there is a lot of aspiration-type feedback like ‘Jeep is cool,'” said David Anderson, senior director of business development and licensing, Activision. “This year, we wanted to step it up a little with more aspiration points.”
But do other players view a brand’s presence in videogames as intrusive?
Actually, “80% to 90% of gamers want real products integrated into the game so that the game can look real,” Anderson said.
One brand, Powerade, will showcase its beverage in the Tony Hawk game.
“Brands that are great partners for video games are those that bring a visually unique brand aesthetic” to the experience, Anderson said.
In 2004, marketers spent $117.6 million on video game advertising, according to the Boston-based Yankee Group. By 2009, video game advertising is projected to soar to $874 million, Yankee Group said. The figure includes in-game ads (static ads and product placements within a game) and Advergames (games built around a specific product or brand) (PROMO Magazine February, 2006).
According to Nielsen Entertainment, in 2003 men 18 to 34 spent 30 billion hours playing video games.
Jeep is a brand of Auburn Hills, MI-based DaimlerChrysler.
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