Nov 9, 20224 min
Updated: Aug 1, 2023
Today the gaming industry is actively growing and spreading its influence to more industries. Let’s face it - video games are no longer for entertainment only. Now games attract a lot of users regardless of age, occupation, etc. all over the globe. That is why they are getting actively applied in terms of marketing and reaching business objectives.
There is a category of games that end up getting released to act as a kind of commercial for a product to gamers. We refer to them as Branded Games. What do you know about branded mini-games and why are they popular?
HitBerry Games is a mobile app development company focused on branded games development. We’ve got 12+ years of experience. Our team brings together professional and dedicated talents in branded games development.
We are aware of all the pitfalls of the mobile games development process and do not mind sharing this information with you. In this blog post, we’ve gathered basic information about branded mini-games and famous cases. Join us and let’s discover the world of video games together!
Ever since the dawn of the video game industry, numerous brands have developed so-called “advergames,” or games meant to appeal to the target audience and promote a product. While a vast majority of such branded games aren’t going to win any game of the year awards, they’re still worth experiencing.
After all, branded marketing games don't have to be good, or fun (some of them are barely games and some don’t even make much sense), but they are unique because of the combination of two things we all love: consumerism and video games. To speak frankly, there are quite a lot of rather weird branded games, but some of them manage to work out anyway.
As we have already mentioned, a game can sell ideas, emotions, and sometimes even unique viewpoints, therefore, becoming an excellent and effective marketing strategy for many brands. So it’s not surprising to see several brands introduce and promote their product via a game. From sports to TV — different brands from all over the globe prove the power of engagement through video game marketing.
Even though a lot of branded marketing games equal 20-hour-long interactive commercials, there are games worth attention to and appreciation. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 custom-branded games doing their job pretty well. Take a closer look at them now!
Pepsiman - Pepsi (1999). Old but still good. Do you remember that silver and blue man that keeps on running? The mini-game developed for Pepsi promotional campaign was simple but successful. There were neither specific missions nor enemies trying to kill the main character. The only objective of Pepsiman was to deliver the carbonated drink to the location.
Sneak King - Burger King (2006). This popular US fast-food service also has a promotional game titled Sneak King and released exclusively on Xbox 360. Gamers simply control the king and help him share burgers.
It Comes From Below - Under Armour (2016). This tie-in game was developed for Snapchat and challenged players to navigate Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton through a forest of obstacles. This branded game turned out to be successful enough and appealed to a big number of people.
Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching - Paramount Pictures (2016). As with any other branded game, this one is easy to play. There is no special plot and technically you can just jump over enemies without hurting anyone, but this marketing is a nice parody of its source material.
Kentucky Fried Football Challenge - KFC (2017). With this interactive branded mini-game, KFC allows users on Instagram to play football from the restaurant’s profile page. A page of thumbnails creates an image of a football field, along with a “start here” tab.
Driver Simulator - Uber (2015). The Uber company has introduced Driver Simulator as a branded game used as a driver recruitment platform. The game provides players with the experience of delivering passengers safely to the targeted location.
McDonald's Treasure Land Adventures - McDonald's (1993). McDonald’s has been the ultimate worldwide leader in fast food restaurants for years, so it isn’t a surprise the company also has a branded game to attract customers. The game allows players to take on the role of Ronald McDonald himself in search of the missing pieces to a treasure map.
A Netflix Original Game - Netflix (2017). The American streaming service introduced its original video game in 2017. This is an endless runner game in which players can take on the role of one of four characters from popular Netflix shows: Stranger Things, Orange Is The New Black, Marco Polo, or Narcos. The playable online game involves navigating characters, fighting enemies, and collecting items.
Chex Quest - Chex Mix (1996). Chex Mix is a breakfast snack. in 1996, the company introduced a first-person shooter game that can be easily played by 6 years old kids and older.
Taco Bell Tasty Temple Challenge - Taco Bell (2000). In the game, players are battling snakes with various taco bell menu options in a world reminiscent of Doom and eat Chulupas to restore their health.
If you’re on the fence about branded games development for your brand, we hope the information provided above will help you make the right decision. In the majority of cases, such easy-to-play branded mini-games bring in a lot of significant benefits. They make up an effective tool for increasing engagement, driving traffic to your website, launching a new product, expanding the audience, capturing data, and this list goes on.
Looking for a branded games development company? HitBerry Games is ready to turn your concept into a playable branded game that will boost your brand and engage your customers. We will dive deep into your marketing tasks and brand values.
Then, our experienced and skillful specialists will analyze your basic requirements and wishes, and guide the development process from conceptualizing up to the final release. We will dive deep into your marketing tasks and brand values. Do not waste your time and contact us right now!