Media Buying Briefing: Synthetic experiences outgrow their novelty status as they attract more brands

By Michael Bürgi

It’s almost trite at this point to note the decade-worth of digital and e-commerce transformation that’s enveloped the marketing world over the last 16 months since the pandemic started. Within that transformation, time spent in virtual video game environments has exploded at a faster clip since the invention of Pong back in 1972. Limelight Networks’ most recent State of Online Gaming study showed that gamers spent just under eight-and-a-half hours a week playing games, a 14 percent increase over its 2020 survey.

Jeff Roach, president and chief strategy officer at SCS, a Los Angeles-based hybrid media and creative agency, believes that video games have actually become the primary expression of teenage cultural identity — taking over music — which has been the primary youth culture touchstone since the 1950s. That sea change has ushered in an era of “synthetic experiences” that’s attracting young, hard-to-reach consumers who are spending more and more time in online or virtual environments, courtesy of video game platforms such as Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Pokémon Go and others.

And where growing numbers of young consumers are, brands are never far behind. Roach shared his curated list of the best synthetic experiences of the last year or so, as he does his homework to find the right opportunities for SCS’ clients like Míele appliances or Vans sneakers. They include:

Joe Biden’s presidential campaign immersed itself into Animal Crossing in 2020, creating a virtual headquarters on an island with prompts to help the campaign, get Biden T-shirts for your avatar to wear, and Biden’s avatar walking around shouting “No malarkey!” every once in a while. “It’s the perfect example of what normally may have been an event or experiential that became synthetic in Animal Crossing,” said Roach.
The North Face and Gucci collaborated on Pokémon Go, with users finding branded items from the collection — T-shirts, backpacks and hats — for their avatars at more than 100 locations across the world. “You wouldn’t think luxury brands that sell on Rodeo Drive would be considering video games as an [ad] platform, but they are,” said Roach.
Again, Gucci introduced a Gucci bag on Roblox, which sold for $4,115, more than the tangible purse, which retails for $3,400. “Most people think of Roblox as a store for young children to play in as a creative experience, but it actually has a ton of creators who are older who love creating in the space,” he said.
In the dating space, hot app Bumble partnered with travel app Airbnb, creating virtual dating experiences across the globe, from New York to Italy to New Zealand.

Roach cited other examples of the brands themselves creating immersive online environments that help them grow and reach new audiences, from Peloton’s virtual workouts to Fortnite hosting concerts featuring real artists, including Travis Scott and Steve Aoki performing via avatars. But he also points out that most of the above examples are of high-profile brands — and the industry needs to figure out how this can be …read more

Source:: Digiday