Nike takes gaming to the streets

Nike’s experimental Alternate Reality Game (ARG) campaign is set to kick start this Friday across London. The footwear brand is promoting both its products and a positive fitness message via Nike Grid, a 24 hr urban running game that divides the capital into a game-board of 40 competing postcodes. The location-based game sees users registering online  and then running between telephone boxes, entering 4-digit codes as they go, in order to receive points. (Apparently locations will be monitored to stop users from donning skates or hopping on a bus)

The activity owes much to location-based service Foursquare, as it utilises the service’s ‘badges’ concept enabling participants to acquire badges for speed, endurance and stamina during the event. The person who manages to collect the most points in a particular area claims that postcode’s crown’ (aping Foursquare’s ‘Mayor’ status)

A promotional ad has been running online featuring London grime artist Tempa T – who created a track especially for the event -  encouraging users to get involved.

Gamers are in many ways a disconnected community despite their deep online social connections. A console gamer dispatching opponents on Call Of Duty, or thrashing a competitor on a sports game, has no more than an ID for reference. Likewise games such as World Of Warcraft are ultimately shrouded by the virtual self as users create uber idealistic identities online. ARG’s – which blend the real with the fictional, the digital with the actual – play out with a far more human touch. Confined by consoles, a clutter of Guitar Hero peripherals and deep MMORG networks, gaming is now looking for a new tangible lease of life outside the screen.

ARGs have been growing in popularity for a while now, but what is particularly interesting about this one is the use of ‘found’ or existing tech – in this case virtually obsolete phone boxes – as the centre piece for the concept.  With the advent of Augmented Reality and the ability to layer the real environment with digital media, the opportunity to explore the city – the reality you find yourself in everyday – suddenly opens up into an exciting and constantly morphing playground for brands.

The empire sneaks back

There is an interesting meld of genres in this recent adidas commercial, which promotes a new line of Star Wars branded footwear in the style of its ‘House Party’ campaign commercial from 2008.  The ad features David Beckham and Darth Vader alongside musicians such as Snoop Dogg and Daft Punk. It also utilises a new remix of the Imperial March – Darth Vader’s entrance tune.  The accompanying footwear will feature an Augmented Reality code on the shoe tongue which will unlock both a Star Wars game and a music game when placed in front of a web cam.

www.youtube.com

www.adidas.com

Your own personal blood loss

With all the focus currently on getting music in prime time US TV dramas or onto the soundtrack of the next Guitar Hero or Rock Band spin off, it’s easy to forget that there are far subtler ways of integrating your presence into consumers’ living rooms.

Quite possibly my favourite band integration of the end of the year goes to Dépêche Mode’s presence in Valve’s zombie onslaught video game ‘Left 4 Dead 2′. Why? Well it’s not because of Dave Gahan making an appearance in-game as a putrid member of the brain munching club, nor is it because his dulcet tones feature amid the killing spree. The reason it’s so good is because one of the four main protagonists in the game – Rochelle -  sports a pink t-shirt emblazoned with the band’s name. What’s so great about that I hear you say? Well, what it effectively means is that throughout the many hours it will take to complete this game, the millions of eager gamers – both pre and post Christmas – will be constantly staring at an artist billboard as they lay waste to the zombie horde.

The inclusion is intentional and planned, and although subtle, it is indicative of how traction is routed in repetition. Gamers have a devotion to their chosen product that surpassed the often passive interaction with a CD. For the hours, days, weeks it takes to reach completion they are living the game – and thereby have a certain level of connection with the game’s protagonists. Indirectly they are wearing that band tee and seeing their reflection mirrored in the action. “There is no storyline in the game with the band, as they do not appear in the game,” said Johnathan Kessler, Depeche Mode’s manager, “their music was included as a way to get their songs out there, so that the kids can be exposed to it in a way that differs from conventional radio.” With radio you get your three minutes of fame (that’s if you’re lucky enough to get a mention pre or post airplay). In Rochelle’s case you get a walking, talking, zombie slaying, advertisement . An emotive avatar that the gamer can emphasize with as both they and the character engage in the storyline as one.

Not groundbreaking, not complicated, but arguably very, very clever.  If Lara Croft had worn a band tee, for example, the group would have become immortalised in gaming history.

That said don’t expect to see a Susan Boyle T-shirt on anyone in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

You can buy without fear

Lily Allen’s single The Fear is being promoted via a viral music game. The game, entitled Escape the Fear, features Allen as the main character. Players must help Lily navigate 10 levels whilst avoiding obstacles such as paparazzi cameras, rabid handbag dogs, evil bankers throwing credit cards, alcohol and demonic puzzles.

“The instant gratification of this type of game makes it inherently viral […] we are potentially reaching a new audience who are not listening to the radio or reading the music press” said Dan Duncombe, Digital Director at Parlophone.

The game itself is played out in the 2D retro Donkey Kong style and sees Lily herself striking an uncanny resemblance to a Bratz doll. (could she follow the Katy Perry doll with this far more consumer friendly version?). The site includes the video for the single and plenty of embed options for the user’s favourite social portals. It also has the option to email the viral game to friends.

Plus there is a competition attached to the game to win tickets to Lily’s sold out date at Koko on 28th January.

I’d drowned Lily within 30 seconds on the first level. It wasn’t intentional I swear.

http://www.lilyallenmusic.com/lily/fear

KFC’s fast food rockers

To tie in with the forthcoming release of Activision’s Guitar Hero World Tour, fast food chain KFC is entering into a selection of promotional giveaways.

A limited-edition KFC Guitar Hero collector’s cup will feature a special promotion which will enable KFC customers to access secret cheat codes to unlock special features within the Guitar Hero World Tour game. Plus, from 26th October, fans of the game will be able to register online for a chance to win the ultimate gaming room, which includes a plasma TV, sound system, furniture, refreshment centre, and gaming consoles with 25 games. “We’re confident chicken lovers and gaming enthusiasts will come together to enjoy our breakthrough in-game integration and amazing giveaways,” said Javier Benito, KFC’s EVP of Marketing & Food Innovation. “KFC and Guitar Hero share a fan base that celebrates good music and great food.”

So what?: The most interesting part of this campaign is that KFC intends to appear in the Guitar Hero World Tour game in “branded cameos”. Could we see Colonel Sanders going head-to-head (or beard-to-top-hat) with Slash? Will Guns N’ Roses’ Buckethead make an appearance? Could we see drumsticks shaped like, well, drumsticks? Joking aside, this is a smart move by KFC, moving the campaign beyond a simple giveaway and providing ‘Easter egg’-style content that makes consumers dig that bit deeper into the brand. Which satisfy their gaming appetite.

“Cheat codes and chicken? I’m not sure the cheat codes will motivate foot traffic to KFC, but the ‘ultimate game room’ prize is cool and should get fans to participate online. In the fast food category, Burger King is setting the bar very high with its game initiatives. Its competitors should be taking note.”
Joseph McDonald, Managing Partner, The Gaming Agency

www.marketwatch.com

Electronic Arts is promoting the release of its Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 game with a musical viral remix. Red Alert Remix 3 features a remix of ‘Hell March’ (from the original game) by artist CB Shaw. It features a host of stars in the clip (who also appear as characters in-game), including Kelly Hu, Jenny McCarthy, Gemma Atkinson, and George Takei. All your ‘bass’ is belong to us.

www.adgabber.com

Xbox is inviting you to create and promote your fantasy gig, in order to win the “party of a lifetime”, worth $50K, simply select your ideal line-up, create a promotional poster and submit it to the praise or derision of an online community. The winning entrant will then move on to be in charge of promoting Xbox’s final gig of the year and selecting acts for real; a true instance of ‘live’ imitating art.

www.xboxmygig.com

What?: Mohegan Sun, the world’s second largest casino, has been utilising classic songs by Toto, Rick James, and The Knack in its recent ad campaigns. The ads opt for the ‘new musical’ agenda, leveraging the current interest in all things High School Musical- and Mamma Mia!-related. The company wants to highlight that there is more to the venue than its 6,200 slot machines and 300 gaming tables; interestingly, both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods (two massive casinos in Connecticut) recently reported a year-on-year decline in slot-machine revenues, which dropped by $76M. Over 209.2M adults gambled in the US in 2006, nearly half of them older working couples and parents (aged 45+). Young singles (21-35) only made up 3%. Bearing in mind the big names that have played at the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena – Nine Inch Nails, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay – is the ballad hair rock of Toto the right music to bring in new business?

At the Sun – Mohegan Sun

My Mohegan – Mohegan Sun

Everyone’s Invited – Mohegan Sun

Be a national Guitar Hero

What?: The US Army National Guard is rolling out its Rock Star Hero Challenge recruitment tour bus at various music festivals and other outdoor events in a bid to sign up new recruits.

The bus has been fitted with 52” touch-screen displays that allow potential recruits to participate in virtual missions and guitar-based videogames. Visitors will be encouraged to pose in front of eight different ‘green screen’ images of rock bands (that they can download via the web).

The 12-week tour kicks off in August and hopes to have a footfall of around 50,000 to 100,000 interested attendees. “We’re hoping that once they are there, they will associate the rock star hero with a Guard hero,” said Joseph Day, Chief of the Army National Guard’s Strategic Actions & Marketing.

So what?: The army is looking further afield than traditional shoot-’em-ups (a direct gaming approach was tried before with both America’s Army (2002) and Full Spectrum Warrior (2005)), as it now turns its attention to the increasingly popular music videogames market. Strange to think that rock music – so staunchly antiwar in the ‘60s – should come full circle. If John Lennon staged a sleep-in today, would he hide a copy of Guitar Hero under the bed?

“Taking the recruiting roadshow to its target audience using platforms and messaging that they understand is a sea change from the stereotyped image of the recruiting office. However, are the lives of a guardsman and a rock star really that similar? That’s a reality show I would like to see.”
Jeremy Paterson, Director of Content and Production, FRUKT

www.ngb.army.mil

Last night a DJ tried to save my life

What?: The White Island is an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), which is being billed as the ‘rave version of Lost’. The interactive game asks players to help solve the mystery behind a series of events that could “threaten the very soul of Ibiza”. The game centres around the disappearance of a USB stick containing the only copy of new tracks by DJ Pete Tong and a missing aspiring DJ called Elisabeth Perl. Elisabeth’s blog features a video that suggests she has been abducted.

The campaign extends across a variety of sites, including images and videos on Australian DJ Sarah Main’s social networking pages and a site connected with Emma’s job at the Society For The Protection Of Ibiza.

One player can win a CDJ400 CD deck if they are the first to recover Pete Tong’s tunes before the launch of his new night, Wonderland.

So what?: ARGs are underused in music (and something we’d like to see more of), but this campaign – a piecemeal of various TV/film elements (Heroes, Lost, Cloverfield) – feels more confusing than engaging. Despite good intentions, this is ultimately let down by its somewhat frivolous subject nature. My favourite part is the fact that Pete Tong clearly values his latest tunes above all human life – a prize is being offered for return of the USB, but not for info regarding the whereabouts of Elisabeth.

“An alternate reality game that needs to explain that it is an alternate reality game on the front page of the website is rather missing the point. We love ARGs – but this is a naive attempt to dress up a bit of Pioneer comms in a story that lacks any of the mystery or intrigue that makes these experiences work.”
Jack Horner, Creative Director, FRUKT

www.thewhiteisland.com