gaming means business.

GAMING MEANS BUSINESS.

Just because it’s virtual doesn’t make it less real. Gaming. It’s the real deal for millions and millions of people across the world. And brands are really starting to recognise that. It’s an opportunity for them to create long term relationships with their clients. And I’ll tell you why.

Traditionally, marketing is mostly campaign based. Right? Brands take their customers from valentine’s day to the summer holidays, all the way to end of year Christmas shenanigans. Gaming could possibly change that whole approach. When it’s done right, of course. Let me give you an example. People spend hours a day on Nikeland on Roblox. Yes, hours a day of continuous engagement with your brand and other fans of the brand. Pretty incredible if you ask me.

Nowadays, people are really looking for brands to become life companions. Brands they can really associate themselves with. And so they’re looking for ways to interact with the brands they love and, maybe, more importantly, other like-minded people who want that too. It’s safe to say, some major brands are really starting to tap into that trend and build these virtual environments for their customers to do just that. Interact, play, connect, and have fun. 

Let me prove my point by taking you through some examples.

1. Balenciaga

Fashion has been arguably slow on the uptake with digital and immersive technology. However, the pandemic forced the industry’s hand. And Balenciaga may be considered on top of the list when it comes to gaming. They launched their retro video game “Afterworld” to showcase its fall collection last year. According to Lyst data, searches for Balenciaga rose by 41 percent just 48hours after the release of the game.

Gaming and fashion both have a purpose to give their audience larger-than-life experiences. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to attend a fashion show in Paris you’ll know what I mean. It’s one big spectacle, one big experience. If you’re able to capture that energy as a brand inside of a game, I’m sure it will create interest, to say the least.

2. Adidas

Ever wondered what an avatar based on your personality instead of your looks would look like? Enter Adidas Ozworld. Celebrating the brand’s latest collection, consider Ozworld a one of its kind immersive gaming platform, where people can create their own AI-generated avatar in collaboration with Ready Player Me. All based on the power of self-expression, the experience allows people to create a truly unique digital version of themselves that they can then take around the web. The platform really found the perfect balance between physical and digital, as the web experience accompanies people through the importance of self-expression asking them a series of questions to build an avatar based on their personality. Just try it out yourself, it’s a great experience.

3. Renault

Yes, the automotive industry isn’t slacking behind. The best way to experience a car is to take it on a test drive. Taking that experience to an online game may not translate into that same physical thrill, but if there are high scores and prices involved it will urge people to play, interact and drive the car over and over again. For the release of the Twingo, Renault did just that. Available both on desktop and mobile, the experience didn’t just allow people to drive the car, they could first and foremost set up their Twingo to their liking. Changing anything from the colour of the car, to the interior and of course the wheels. Once they were happy with the looks, they could virtually take it for a spin.

For the launch of the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee, we did something similar. In the midst of the pandemic, we launched a virtual platform for people to interact, engage and play the Jeep game, taking the Grand Cherokee for a drive in the desert. 

4. MAC Cosmetics

We just finished a great collaboration with MAC Cosmetics. For the first time, they turned to gaming for the launch of their Stack product line. And I'm happy to say that BUREAU BÉATRICE had a little something to do with that. 

The idea behind Stack It, The Game was to give the brand the tool to boost their product exposure and in doing so ensure that the attention focus would be on MAC and not any of their competitors. We tapped into the love for on-the-go games as we re-imagined one of our childhood favourites: Tetris.

What’s the point of being great at a game if you can’t brag about it, right? In only 2 clicks and over 120k games played, each player got to share their results on social media and redeemed a product in a store near them or on the MAC e-commerce site.

Just quickly getting back to the point that I made earlier. Gaming gives brands the opportunity to build long term engagement with their customers. The MAC game for example was supposed to be online for just 30 days, linked to a campaign. But because of the fact that people keep on coming back and playing the game multiple times a day, we essentially just keep the game online and accessible for everyone to play at any time.

When done right, gaming for brands is a real opportunity. And I haven’t even used the word Metaverse, but it’s what it’s all about today. Connecting, interacting, engaging and putting a smile on people’s faces.