Electronic Arts launches EA Advertising, which it says will add brands into games in a ‘non-disruptive’ way

Electronic Arts has announced the launch of EA Advertising, a new platform designed to make it easier for brands to connect with video game audiences.

EA Advertising will let brands “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content, designed to enhance, not disrupt, the player experience”.

According to EA, brands will be able to implement advertising campaigns in games, and update or optimise them based on aggregated insights from player engagement.

The publisher is offering “brand partnerships and gameplay integrations”, which will let brands and agencies appear in players’ games in the form of “in-game challenges, reward-driven objectives, and branded content”.

It also includes ad units in EA Sports games, including “digital ad boards, scoreboards, and brand broadcast overlays”. Ads are “dynamically served” within the game, and brands receive data on the number of ad impressions they get from this.

EA also says it has a new “proprietary ad server and SDK” as part of its Frostbite engine, which lets advertisers collaborate with EA in “a privacy-safe way” to “improve targeting and gain deeper campaign insights”.

A select group of official partners will also form the EA Sports Partner Program, with existing examples including:

• Visa, which is partnering with EA Sports FC and EA Sports College Football to develop “immersive, participatory experiences”.
• Lowe’s, which had Ultimate Team content in EA Sports FC, Madden NFL and College Football including challenges and branded player content. EA says more than 200,000 of these challenges were completed.
• Red Bull had branded in-game objectives and team kits in EA Sports FC, “driving more than 128 million matches played [and] 1.2 million objectives completed”.
• Xfinity and Peacock had in-stadium and broadcast-style integrations, custom vanity kits, Ultimate Team packs and personalised rewards in EA Sports FC.
• Mountain Dew had Dew University in EA Sports College Football 26, a “fully playable team experience” complete with “a custom stadium, mascot, and reward ecosystem”.

“Players come to EA’s games and live experiences every day to play, watch, create and connect,” EA chief experiences officer David Tinson said in a statement.

“That gives brands a meaningful opportunity to show up in ways that add value and respect the player experience, while maintaining authenticity in the worlds our teams are building. With EA Advertising, we’re helping brands become part of those moments in ways that are relevant and built for players.”

Earlier this month, Bioware veteran and Dragon Age series producer Mark Darrah said more studios and publishers should consider turning to product placement instead of relying on microtransactions to fund development.

“My understanding is the live-action Smurfs movie paid for itself entirely through product placement,” Darrah claimed, “so the movie was effectively made for zero dollars simply through the sale of product placement. Contrast that with the way that games make money.”