Video game marketing can make you laugh, cry or in some cases, wonder what the heck just happened. Staying on top of the latest trends means that in addition to the really authentic, intuitive marketing campaigns out there, you also tend to encounter some really bizarre ones. Admittedly, being weird can be an effective tool for brand recognition and whether or not these ads inspire you to buy . . . they sure won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Sugar Goggles
Making an appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this past weekend, the diet brand, Atkins decided to make cutting out sugar a bit more high-tech. Enter Sugar Goggles, a virtual reality game aimed at teenagers. Atkins hopes to install its VR experience in high schools to “empower them” with knowledge about how much sugar is in food. Users are challenged with entering the human body and capturing foods while learning about their glycemic intake . . . we think. The point isn’t particularly clear but it has something to do with gold rings and blood cells. And don’t eat bread, I guess.
4D Candle
Ahhh . . . that abandoned house smell. Capcom is about to immerse players into its horrifying world of Resident Evil like never before through virtual reality. Capcom decided that in order to further that immersion, the Resident Evil 7: Blood, Sweat And Fears candle will fill a room with the scents of terror. Burning for between eight and 20 hours, the candle may also evoke visions of “old timber and leather,” according to Merchoid, which sells the officially licensed product. Ya know, just in case you want to know what death smells like. Capcom has a history of macabre activations for its world-famous zombie brand, from serving brains to opening a human meat market in London.
Cup Noodle XV
Oh, Japan. You have gifted the world with some of the best, weirdest things ever. Final Fantasy XV features a side quest called “Perfect Cup” in which players can craft their very own Nissin Cup Noodle with their best buds. Afterwards, the game’s characters seriously discuss how great the ramen is and how they’ve come to appreciate the snack even more. Wildy popular in Japan, Cup Noodle even got its own version of the Final Fantasy XV trailer.
https://youtu.be/bvaTAgkWy6c
Nosulus Rift
Visitors to Gamescom were uh . . . treated . . . to a very smelly addition to their demo for South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Ubisoft’s latest tale of kids getting into all sorts of mayhem features a unique game mechanic in which farting is used to do just about anything. From fighting to moving around, cutting the cheese is an important aspect of gameplay. To “complement” the demo experience, players were fitted with the Nosulus Rift—a device that blows fart smells into your nose. Try not to cry (with joy, unless you have a little brother to torment) because this little gem is not available for sale and was produced only for convention use.
Start Me
Racking up over 1.8 million views is this bizarre but memorable ad for Madden NFL 17. Denver Broncos’ linebacker, Von Miller is delightfully goofy in this musical plea to have players build their in-game defense around his character.
