Oh it’s not, dead, it’s just changed shape so we don’t immediately recognize it. This, for example, is an ad for about 5 different games.
Notice how the brands were mentioned. Notice how much more palatable this is as a delivery system for that sweet brand awareness. They’re making statements we agree with! They’re demonstrating values that align with our own.
Now look it’s video games so I really don’t mind. This is certainly nicer than what we had in the 90s and 2000s (which were occasionally hilarious but I digress) , but I still want to raise awareness a bit. Larian isn’t the only company that rolls this way. Thing is, they’re probably not even lying, but an executive at a company does media like this for a reason.
This is them “speaking to you.”
That’s fine. If you want to sell me video games tell me they exist somewhere that isn’t in the middle of a YouTube video I’m trying to watch, or in the middle of a TV show on Netflix/hulu. People want to play these games, we just don’t want ads shoved down our throat when we aren’t trying to seek put these products.
A lot of the most heavily advertised games are the ones people wouldn’t play without addiction models or whaling hooks, ones that require marketing to get people on board.
I’ve been pretty insulated from ads for a good bit (by design) but what is that meme one again? Raid Shadow Legends?
I think he made a very good point, that traditional forms of marketing are dead, and the best place to market is the storefront itself (on the Internet).
Then again i also agree with your point, this kind of puff-piece is a type of marketing as old as human beings.
All in all 10/10 glad i came to this post
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt an urge to be marketed to.
