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You’ve seen the statistics. 3.2 billion people around the world play games – that’s one in three of Earth’s inhabitants. It is bigger than TV, streaming and the music industry combined, yet it receives the fewest advertising dollars in the advertising industry. In short, it’s a golden opportunity for any brand that wants to hit the X button and take the leap into gaming.

But when it comes to in-game advertising, how can you do it in a way that complements your ad campaigns, authentically represents your brand, and without overwhelming your marketing resources?

Here at Anzu, the world’s most advanced in-game advertising solution, we’ve put together our top three reasons why gaming is the next big step for the magic of your company’s marketing campaign.


Image Credit: MMORPG.com

1.) The game audience is huge

Is there an echo in this? We’ve already said that the gaming audience is huge, but it’s good to reiterate how huge it is. Gaming has received a cultural facelift over the past 10 to 15 years. Fortunately, it’s changing from an (unfair) stereotype of “nerdy” or “childish” (which I love as a 30-year-old gamer) to a phenomenon that’s part of our global cultural fabric. It’s harder to find a non-gamer these days than a gamer.

And that’s exactly our point. If you think your audience isn’t gaming, you’re probably wrong. Millions of people play games every day, whether it’s on their phones on their daily commute or chilling on the couch with their consoles. This means that there is inevitably an overlap between your audience and gamers.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that mobile games are just for kids too — according to Anzu’s survey, nearly half of gamers aged 45-64 played games on Android for more than six hours a week. It’s not just limited to age either. According to another recent survey, more than four in five female internet users between the ages of 16 and 44 play video games.

The audience you can reach with in-game ads is almost limitless, as is the number of verticals you can use in the ads. There is no one-size-fits-all for brand marketing games, so use your imagination and be open-minded when planning which games, genres, and publishers to partner with.


Image credit: Unsplash

2.) Technology is better than ever before

In case you hadn’t noticed, with the likes of the Unreal Engine 5 unveiling an astonishing audience in 2020, gaming technology is improving at an alarming rate. Better technology means better platforms and better engines. But what does that mean for you as an advertiser? Short answer: It means better advertising opportunities with direct or programmatic purchases in game environments.

Mobile is the most popular gaming platform, with an estimated 2.6 billion mobile gamers worldwide. With more efficient handsets resulting in bigger and better games for gamers, this results in more content creation in gaming, creating more mobile gamers… and the cycle continues. The expansion of cloud gaming and the use of mobile devices to stream games on the go means greater accessibility to games for gamers without the need for expensive hardware. All of this should tick your boxes right now – more advanced technology, more players, more attention to your ads.

However, today’s technological advancements are not limited to gaming engines and platforms. Adtech has made a big leap in recent years as more and more advertisers flock to gaming as the next big way to reach their fans. To help advertisers measure the success of their campaign, Anzu has partnered with both IAS and Oracle Moat to enable “apples-to-apples” visibility measurements and compare their campaign metrics with ads on other media, such as CTV. Read more about the latest collaboration on our blog.


Image Credit: Unit 2 Games

3.) The possibilities are endless

Gone are the days of boring, flat 2D ads. Everything, literally everything, is at your fingertips now that you can create in virtual worlds. Your brand can be displayed on anything and everything – banners, buildings, race tracks – even entire worlds via metaverse platforms like Roblox, if you so choose. However, it should always be done in a way that is not intrusive and does not interfere with the gameplay experience.

“One mistake I see when people create something in the metaverse is that they create a ‘digital dupe’ or digital twin,” said Becky Owen, head of creator innovation & solutions at Meta, at this year’s Cannes Lions. ‘That doesn’t seem logical to me! If you don’t have physics or gravity, and your walls can be made of cats… then do that!”

There are countless examples of incredible in-game ad campaigns, from simple branded banners on the side of the track to complete virtual worlds like American Eagle’s Livetopia feature. See more Anzu case studies for inspiration for your own campaigns.


Image Credit: Saber Interactive

Get started in 3 steps

1.) Identify your audience (spoiler: it’s in gaming)

How old are they? Would they play more on mobile, console, PC or equally on all three? What games/genres are they interested in? What would be a cool way to introduce your brand in their favorite game?

2.) Think about what kind of budget you have

This will help you decide how to approach gaming. For example, you can choose to run in-game ads in different titles that target your audience, or you can launch an interactive custom activation to showcase your entire campaign and bring your brand to life.

3.) Find a trusted, reliable in-game advertising provider (we know one)

This will help you connect with game publishers for some of the most popular, exciting games out there.

Get started on your in-game campaign journey today at www.anzu.io.