According to a recent Gamespot article, Barack Obama has done something no other presidential candidate has ever done. As we speak, Obama is running campaign ads in 18 different EA games across 10 different states that allow early voting. The ads are said to target men ages 18-34. Well, they definitely chose the right advertising medium to accomplish that goal, right guys? The ads will run up to the eve of the general election.
What about John McCain you ask? The same advertising company that worked with Obama approached John McCain who passed on the opportunity.
The list of the 10 states after the jump.
- Ohio
- Florida
- Iowa
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Montana
- North Carolina
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Wisconsin
So, if you live in any of these states and play EA games constantly, it is likely you will see Obama’s mug on a billboard.
Nice post, Tyler. I think that this is the best medium to campaign for being that a majority of male voters are gamers (not leaving out women, either). Obama made a smart decision in doing this. It’s kind of like the Ivan Pavlov (Pavlovian Conditioning) experiments. Where you continuously repeat a patten to the subject and the subject, later on, develops a behavioral modification of what his been habitually instilled. Watch how many gamers will say they vote for Obama now. lol
I was just talking to my friends about this. Its pretty cool that Obama is using technology as part of his campaign, from youtube to video games to linked in.
You can add him as your friend in linked in. Of course, now Im listed as Obama’s friend (don’t try to look me up as I signed up with my real name and of course I do not need any freaky gamers pre-ejaculating to my linkedin photo, ROFL =))
I find the campaigning over the top, I really am not a big fan of in game advertising of any kind. In most cases it dillutes the game experience and cheapens the feel. Obama campagning on Xbox 360 and in games just shows the pull that the gaming community has gotten now.
It’s interesting that these ads are only being run on the Xbox 360 versions of the games