Video advergames lob plugs at players
Manufacturers try to make their pitches a pleasure.

March 4, 2006 - Detroit Free Press

Want a crash course in the latest advertising gimmick?
Try Volvo Cars of North America's "Volvo Drive For Life" video game, which enables players to use its safety features to maneuver Volvo cars on a California highway, wintry Swedish roads and an Italian racetrack.

Through the game, published by Microsoft Corp. for the Xbox system, Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo unit is able to market its S40 and S60 R sedans and XC90 V8 SUV while linking its nameplate with judicious driving by rewarding players for safe driving. The automaker distributed 100,000 copies of the game to Volvo dealerships in Michigan and across the United States.

"Volvo Drive For Life" focuses on driving safety and includes a virtual tour of the Volvo Safety Center and a film from actual crash tests. Periodically throughout the game, players see the Volvo for Life slogan.

Some Volvo dealers have set up game consoles in showrooms to allow people to play it, while others give away or sell the game. Volvo also gives the game away at auto shows and at promotional and sponsorship events.
"Video games are another form of interaction with our potential customer," John Maloney, a Volvo spokesman, said. "It's a way to demonstrate your product. In this game, you're becoming more familiar with these three Volvos and their features, and it tells you what these cars do in the real world."

General Motors Corp.'s Pontiac brand, a sponsor of NCAA sports, also simulates real-world situations in its involvement with NCAA video games. NCAA's College Hoops 2K6 game for Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360, for instance, is complete with replays and players grandstanding.

It also has sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel announcing the Pontiac's Game Changing Performance award for outstanding plays, and Pontiac ads appear under the scorer's table in front of the basketball court, just as in the real world.

Players can go to http://virtualfinal4.2ksports.com/ to compete for a chance to play a virtual Final Four competition in the same city where the real-world NCAA Final Four will be played and ultimately to win seats to the real NCAA games.

The 2K6 game Web site links to the Pontiac Web site and vice versa.

"It's a very legitimate integration," said Mark-Hans Richer, marketing director at Pontiac. "It mimics our real-world promotional efforts."