More than just the indirect promotion that advertisers do in movies, with such tactics as Pierce Brosnan using Rolex in his James Bond movie and the use of Wilson for Ton Hanks buddy in Castaway, the advertising genre has gone to the wider and newer medium: the Internet.

Today when an online user is not into playing in online game sites, he or she would most likely end up playing a game as he waits for his online order confirmation in his favorite dishwashing liquid’s site. Indeed, the gaming world has transported itself into the realm of reality, as you see a miniature world in there. Same as the big real world, you will find yourself racing in a lane with a billboard displaying your favorite candy brand. This is what we call advergaming.

Advergaming is defined as a mix of advertising and entertainment that takes the form of videogames. It is believed to have its early days during the 1980s when Kool-Aid and Pepsi developed Atari 2600. Atari 2600 displayed their products on the games; they also distributed game cartridges for further promotion. American Home Foods followed with their Chef Boyardee; Chex Quest was released in 1996 for Chex cereals. NVision Design (now Blockdot) also developed the game Good Willie Hunting. The game had a strong following as it served as a parody to the extramarital affairs of then President Bill Clinton.

The term advergaming is derived from a coined term “advergames.” Way back 2001 Wired magazine used the term in its “Jargon Watch” column. Since then it has become the word to describe any free online games that are used to promote certain products. This advertising niche is relatively new and offers a wide venue for discovery and ingenuity to fill.

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