Game on!

Promoters have found an opportunity to jump on to the b(r)and wagon of gaming.

As the popularity of games "" online, mobile, PC and console "" picks up, a new breed of marketers seems to have emerged: one that is eager to turn games into a new advertising vehicle.

Brand-laden diversions, called advergames, are coming up as a powerful new ad medium from promoters of cookies, candies, cereals, chips, soda, as well as oil, phones, computers and even IT vendors. With the wireless gaming market in Asia-Pacific estimated to touch $1.3 billion in 2008, advergaming is all set to take off.

Visitors can play or download these games from websites or WAP portals, after paying anywhere between Rs 49-100. "The idea is to expose the user to at least a dozen brand images and messages while playing a single game "" subtly without spoiling the game," says Salil Bhargava, CEO, Jump Games.

Advergames are a powerful tool in building brand loyalty and gathering data about existing and potential customers, feel game makers.

"In effect, advergames are nothing but interactive games with a suite of advertising creatives . By combining games and advertisements, it's possible to improve branding, boost product awareness and collect detailed data about participants," says a spokesperson of Mauj Telecom.

Bhargava foresees advergames for mobile phones becoming one of the most dynamic and fast-paced modes of brand communication.

"PC and console games have a very small base in India. The mobile penetration is not only sizeable but also growing the fastest at the moment," says Bhargava. But naturally, the advertisers are looking at promoting their brands through mobile games.

According to IDC, the wireless gaming market in Asia-Pacific has the potential to reach $1.3 billion by 2008, which means the market is growing at 40 per cent CAGR. Buoyed by statistics like these, global brand marketers are bound to target wireless advergames.

For brands, there are a number of good reasons to opt for a sponsored mobile game. "One reason is to create awareness for a brand. Second, to introduce a product or service in a way that involves and entertains the consumer, just as one would with the actual product," says Hiranandani of Mobile2Win.

Most important, advergames respond to the needs of younger, tech-savvy consumers, who demand more interactivity and fun when introduced to mobile advertising campaigns.

Mobile gaming, considered one of the stickiest advergaming formats, is a serious business for players like Mobile2win and Mauj Telecom. The company has already launched about eight advergame titles and claims to be "in negotiations with a slew of marketers for developing more advergame titles".

Hiranandani reasons, "Ads will go where the eyeballs are, and cellular games are indeed a sexy trend of blending advertising and entertainment."

Multinationals such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Panasonic, Viewsonic, Motorola, Castrol, Nokia, McDonalds, Sprite, LG, HP have made an appearance in a few international game titles, and Indian game makers are hoping that domestic brands, too, would latch on to the concept within six to eight months.

A few success stories can be found in India too. Thumbs Up, in conjunction with Paradox Studios and Mobile2Win, had launched a wireless advergame featuring its brand ambassador Akshay Kumar. The game clocked over a million downloads and marked the start of advergaming, claims Bhargava.

"The lure of advergames is that they are pulled in on demand (downloaded) by the end consumer in contrast to mass marketing that is pushed at them," he reasons. So, game on!