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As mentioned in previous articles, ad placement in video games is on the rise, especially in sports games. As its audience grows along with technological advancements like in-game updates via internet connectivity, video games have become a great medium for connecting with hard to reach demographics. Recently Nielsen studied the effectiveness of in-game ads and found they work very well. The study was commissioned by Electronic Arts for Gatorade and showed that in-game advertisements across their various sports titles including their NHL and NBA games increased household dollars spent on the sports drink by 24%.

Now that it has been proven effective more brands may be willing to add video games as a new advertising channel. This has been the first real study on its effectiveness relating directly to sales and could mean the start of an advertising boom in mainstream video games. The new challenge will then lie in using effective product placement without taking away from the user’s gaming experience.

The Vitamin Water brand continues to amaze me; not only do they have a wide range of flavors that are all very good, they also have some of the funniest and clever marketing campaigns in the beverage industry that have been remarkably successful. Since partnering with rapper 50 Cent back in 2004, the company has been using a mix of celebrity endorsements, intelligent social media marketing, and entertaining advertisements to reach new customers and build a very strong brand. In 2007, Coca Cola bought the company for $4.1 billion and has increased its availability world wide allowing it to quickly take market share from soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and juice drinks alike. They have launched hilarious ads featuring the NBA star and self-proclaimed “Canadian Celebrity” Steve Nash that are truly the funniest ads on TV right now. Their newest ads featuring Nash spoof the successful Dos Equis “most interesting man in the world” ads with Nash as “the most ridiculous man in the world”. Previous ads featuring Nash have spoofed infomercials where he portrays a Billy Mays type of spokesperson praising Vitamin Water with a priceless cameo by 50 Cent. They have also just wrapped a successful social media campaign on Facebook that culminates with the launch of a customer-created flavor available next month. Their latest ad, celebrating the Winter Olympics, transforms bus stops in downtown Vancouver BC into a ski lift with Vitamin Water signage. Taking bus stop ads, which seem to be a dated medium that hasn’t experienced much change or innovation and turning them into a spot for photo opportunities centered around the Vitamin Water brand is a great idea. With Olympic fever and increased tourism pouring into Vancouver these ads are sure to receive a lot of attention. As they continue their media blitz with effective inspired ads across a range of different mediums, Vitamin Water is definitely a company to watch.

Muscle Milk, a protein drink made by CytoSport beverages, has recently launched a new campaign featuring viral videos and special edition bottles. The campaign also features Shaquille O’Neil, who recently became only the 5^th player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points, as the spokesperson and star of the viral videos. “Special Edition” bottles are featured in almost every beverage campaign and viral videos are no longer considered the pinnacle of new media, but what makes this campaign stand out is how the viral videos are delivered incorporating the actual bottle. It is part package advertising, part viral campaign, and part augmented reality campaign. The drink container will include a link on its packaging that consumers can visit to view the videos by holding the bottle with a special marker code in front of their webcam to watch O’Neil jump out of the bottle!

Unfortunately, this special-edition Muscle Milk will be released exclusively in Ohio, O’Neil’s home state, for now. The videos are not exclusive however; anyone can visit the campaign’s page, and print out the interactive marker to view the videos. Although this campaign was likely very expensive and will only reach a small market to its full potential, it is very interesting to see how marketers utilize relatively older technology (webcams) for new exciting ways to reach customers. Also, it serves as another unconventional medium utilized by Shaq to market his brand; following his incredibly popular Twitter, his business with Efuel, and the unforgettable Shaq Fu video game.