Advergames are a great combination of advertising and games. These games are built around the brand or product, being accessible on the company's websites, social media or via desktop and mobile download.
Advergames can be games entirely designed to fit around product-related themes or be more subtle, such as billboards in the game's setting.
There are three categories for advergames. Firstly, through the allocation of games on the company's website, which attracts visitors who will stay longer on the platform. The second type is much closer to what we are used to understanding as videogames. They are commercial games developed to be played on computers or consoles, carrying the brand message at the center of the game design. The third group of advergames is what we call in-game advertising, where the product or advertisement is part of the game.
Advergames are powerful because you are potentially associating your customer's brand with something people do to relieve stress or have fun, giving the brand a positive image. Additionally, advergames can have an educational focus, easing pains for personas who will later consider the brand as part of it.
Thinking of creative ways to promote your customers' brand is not an easy task. In order to develop good advergames, intense market research and good ideas for mechanics, scenarios, characters, etc. are required. The key is to be smart when it comes to integrating the brand into the game, making sure that the brand's values are experienced through game mechanics.