In-game advertising

the relevance of brands in digital game entertainment

Abstract

This article aims to explore and identify the models of advertising applied in digital games. It employs theories of Branded Entertainment and Product/Brand Placement to assist in describing the adopted advertising strategies. Cases of various digital games are presented, but the main case study to be analyzed is the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game franchise, a series of digital games that has marked the lives of countless people and has extensive advertising contact throughout the gameplay in its volumes. Based on this analysis, grounded in the concepts of Nelson (2002), reproduction patterns were perceived where elements reiterate, creating a less rigid and more conducive environment for brand-user interaction. From this analysis, it is verified that advertising applications build affective connections and reinforce brand positioning, demonstrating that advertising can be as non-invasive as possible and coexist in harmony with entertainment.