What Is an Advergame? Definition, Famous Examples and How to Make One

An advergame is a video game built to promote a brand, product or message. The game is the advertisement, rather than a place to put one. The word blends advertisement and game, and Wikipedia credits Anthony Giallourakis with coining it in 1999, the year he bought the domain advergames.com. The idea is much older than the word.

Advergames are worth a fresh look because the format has changed. It used to mean a downloadable PC game or a web portal that took months to make. Today a small branded game can live inside a banner slot or a social feed and open in a second, with no download at all.

A short history, in real examples

• Polo, around 1978. A game developed for the Atari 2600 tied to the Polo clothing brand. It was cancelled and never released, yet it is one of the earliest known attempts.
• Tapper, 1984. An arcade game sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, about serving beer. An all-ages version called Root Beer Tapper later came to home systems.
• Yo! Noid, 1990. A Nintendo Entertainment System platformer promoting Domino's Pizza through its Noid mascot.
• Chex Quest, 1996. A total conversion of Doom, given away with Chex cereal. It is often cited as one of the most fondly remembered examples, because it was actually fun.
• Pepsiman, 1999. A PlayStation running game released only in Japan, built around a Pepsi superhero.
• America's Army, 2002. A PC game made by the US Army as a recruiting tool, proving that the format could be used for more than selling snacks.
• Sneak King and others, 2006. Xbox games sold through Burger King restaurants in the US and Canada.

In the early web era, branded game sites became common. Wrigley's Candystand is often described as a prominent early portal. Later, as mobile took over, advergames moved to phones, and that is mostly where they live now.

How an advergame differs from related terms

These terms get mixed up, and the distinction helps when you are planning a campaign.

• Advergame. The game itself is designed around the brand. Remove the brand and there may be no game left.
• In-game advertising. Ads placed inside an existing game, such as a billboard in a racing game or a video between levels. The game has no connection to the advertiser.
• Gamified ads. An ad or campaign with game mechanics added, such as points, a wheel or a reward. Gamification borrows from games without necessarily being one.
• Playable ads. A short interactive demo, usually of a mobile game, served as an ad and ending in an install prompt. For non-game brands, a playable ad is effectively today's advergame.

Why brands make them

• Attention. A person playing for 30 seconds is paying more attention than someone scrolling past a video. They have chosen to engage.
• Understanding. A game can show how a product works in a way that a static image cannot: mix a paint colour, fit a sofa in a room, or sort a recycling bin.
• Memory and feeling. A brand that is fun to interact with leaves a different impression from one that simply interrupts.
• Sharing. Good scores and short challenges give people a reason to send a game to a friend.
• First-party response. A game can lead directly to a coupon, a quiz result or a sign-up, so you measure actions instead of views. Handle any personal data under the relevant privacy law.

The rules, especially around children

Advergames have drawn regulatory attention, largely because a child may not recognise a game as an ad, particularly when the branding is woven into play. Food promotion was a particular focus. In the UK, the CAP Code applies to advergames, with specific guidance on protecting children, and the Advertising Standards Authority enforces it. In the US, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act limits collecting personal information from children under 13, and regulators can act on misleading claims. California pursued Gatorade over a youth-targeted mobile game whose message implied water harmed performance, a case that ended with a reported $300,000 settlement.

The practical advice is simple: make it clear that the game is advertising, avoid unhealthy promotions aimed at children, do not make claims in a game you could not make in a normal ad, and get advice for your market. Playable ads for kids' apps and misleading ads and policy go further.

What makes a good one

1. The product is the mechanic. In weak advergames, a logo is painted onto a generic runner. In strong ones, playing teaches you what the product does. A skincare brand whose game is about matching a routine to a skin type works better than one with a jumping bottle.
2. It starts immediately. There should be no sign-up, long loading or instruction screen. The person should know what to do within a second or two, ideally from a demonstration. See the first three seconds.
3. It is short, with a clear end. Twenty to forty seconds is plenty for an ad. A clear finish feels satisfying and gives you a natural moment to invite action.
4. It rewards something real. A result, score or personal recommendation works well, and a genuine discount works better still.
5. It leads to one action. Each game should end on one clear next step, such as Shop now, Find my match or Claim my code. Put that on a clean end card.

Which formats work for which goals

• Retail and e-commerce: a spin wheel or scratch card with a real code, or a shoppable game that ends on the product.
• Beauty, fashion, automotive and furniture: a product configurator that lets people build their own version.
• Finance, insurance and telecoms: a calculator that gives an answer personal to the user.
• Any product with choices: a quiz or product finder that makes a recommendation.
• Food, drink and entertainment: an arcade-style game with a theme, a simple score and a shareable result.

How to make an advergame today

1. Set the goal. Awareness, leads and sales need different endings and different measures.
2. Pick one mechanic that says something about the product. Write a single sentence: the player does X, and learns Y about the brand.
3. Decide where it will run. A standalone microsite, a social link or an ad slot? Ad networks have strict limits on file size and format, so this decision shapes your whole build. Interactive ad types surveys the options.
4. Build small. Start with a template and swap the art, words and colours instead of commissioning a custom game. It is far cheaper to test several ideas, and a short game rarely needs custom code.
5. Test in both orientations and on low-end phones, then with people outside the team. If they cannot start without help, shorten the instructions.
6. Measure the actions that matter. Starts, completions, taps on the call to action and what follows after. Compare these against your normal video or display ads on the same audience.

Playable Ads Maker is built for exactly this kind of work. You can start from a brand or game template, swap in your own art and copy, and export a single-file HTML5 ad for each of 12 ad networks, or a web version that opens your own link.

Common mistakes

• A logo on a generic game, with nothing to say about the product.
• Too long. A game that takes three minutes will rarely be finished in an ad slot.
• Hiding that it is an ad, especially from a young audience.
• Making it hard to win. In an ad, the reward should come quickly, as difficulty and win rate explains.
• Building only for the launch announcement, with no plan for distribution. A game nobody sees is an expensive internal demo.