14 DAY TRIAL // Who said that advertising in videogames can only be intrusive and game breaking? Massive Inc., which is owned by Microsoft and boasts of being the leading provider of advertising in the videogaming medium, is partnering up with movie company Paramount Pictures and with publisher Ubisoft Entertainment to create what it defines as "the first-of-its-kind dynamic in-game advertising promotion". The initiative is designed as a promotion effort for the movie Tropic Thunder and it includes an interactive scavenger hunt implemented in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2.
Amy Powell, who is the senior vice president of Interactive Marketing for Paramount Pictures, says that "This innovative scavenger hunt enables us to reward our target audience and give them a direct call to action to go see 'Tropic Thunder'. We've had a track record of success working with Massive since the business started. This is taking our in-game advertising campaigns to the next level by making them interactive and actionable. Gamers are motivated to seek out the next ad, which is an amazing way for us to build awareness and excitement for our new release".
The scavenger hunt is designed to guide players to clues that are spread in the game and then to generate interaction that will lead to the end game. There are nine clues within the game world and there's a clear sequence in which they must be discovered, as each leads to the other.
The ultimate prize for the hunt is an invitation to join Ubisoft's VIP club and the chance to download a free digital VIP map for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Those who complete the scavenger hunt will also be entered into two prize drawings. On July 31, 25 winners will be chosen to get a Tropic Thunder Gift Pack which includes two tickets to the movie, a T-shirt and a hat. On August 22, the last prize draw will award an Xbox 360 Elite system and a one-year Xbox LIVE subscription complete with Ubisoft games, presumably including Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2.
Tropical Thunder opens on August 13 and the advertising campaign will end on August 25.