[arg_discuss] Copycat warning over alternative reality games

[Mike Monello]

Stories like this are why I always bristle against defining an ARG versus living under a looser definition such as cross-media narrative or similar.

I still maintain we are (or should be) in a period of extreme experimentation, the results of which will ultimately define what it is and what the sub-genres or styles are. When we codify a strict definition around ARG, we turn it into a series of tactics rather than a formal structure under which an infinite variety of projects can live. When people use the term "ARG," it should be the way people use "sitcom" or "soap-opera" -- only a specific form of cross media engagement.


http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/39895/Copycat+warning+over+alternative+reality+games.html

Copycat warning over alternative reality games

Platform: Internet | Author: Luan Goldie | Source: nma.co.uk | Published: 08.10.08

Brands are being warned against rashly adopting alternate reality games (ARGs) as their use as immersive brand experiences takes off.

Cancer Research, Red Cross and Puffin (whose Young Bond ARG ends this week), are among the recent wave of brands to join the new trend for creating ARGs, which aim to engage consumers in connected online and offline activities.

Early ARGs have been successful. McDonald's The Lost Ring game, supporting its sponsorship of the Beijing...

... Olympics, attracted more than 2.5m people in 100 countries, for example. However, the online industry has urged brands to be cautious about adopting them ad the next craze.

Toby Feldman, marketing director for wrestling federation WWE, said the organisation had looked at ARGs as a marketing technique but decided it would not be an appropriate engagement tool.

"It's down to the brand you have. One size never fits all, and if it's not relevant then it can very quickly become gimmicky," said Feldman. "If you're first to do something then it will work as it will stir interest and publicity."

"Everyone looks for innovative ways to get messages across but if too many others follow suit then it becomes run of mill and waters down its effectiveness," he added.

Likewise, Rei Inamoto, co-chief creative officer at AKQA's US office, the agency behind McDonald's The Lost Ring, said, "I do feel that ARGs are a bit of a fad right now. If agencies and clients do it blindly just because it's the buzzword, it will just lead to copycat tactics."

However, Alex Miller, head of Jam, i-level's social media department, said it was clear why ARGs are becoming popular among brands looking to create strong brand connections. "If the buzzwords at the moment are audience participation, interaction and empowerment then a branded ARG, if executed well, ticks all of those boxes," he said.

Adrian Hon, chief creative officer at ARG specialist Six to Start, which recently rolled out a cross-media competition for Penguin called We Tell Stories, agreed that interest was growing. "It hasn't happened overnight, but we're now getting brands coming to us all the time. Two years ago we had to explain what these games were for, but now it's very popular and we're getting approached all the time."

Other major brands, while not ruling out ARGs feel it's too early to make the investment. Emma Jenkins, head of interactive marketing at Procter & Gamble, said, "It's still very new and gaming is evolving so rapidly. Anything we do has to stay in line with our consumers, so we wouldn't rule it out completely. We'd look at it, but not yet."

Audi's UK PR manager David Ingram agreed. In 2005, Audi US launched ARG The Art of the Heist, which encouraged players to find a stolen Audi A3. The game had more than half a million participants and created over 4,000 test drives.

"We're a bit more traditional," said Ingram. "ARGs have never been on the cards for us. We've run campaigns on PlayStation and we're confident in doing that, but not ARGs yet."

ARGs utilise media across multiple platforms, including mobile, print, outdoor and online, with the player often able to influence the story. The first ARG was The Beast, used to promote the film Artificial Intelligence, with players taking part in a game that incorporated websites, email, telephone conversations.

Sky won an nma Effectiveness Award in 2007 for its ARG for TV show 24. Last week the Red Cross launched its Traces of Hope ARG to raise awareness of civilians separated from their friends and families due to conflicts around the world.





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Mike Monello
Partner, Campfire
http://www.campfirenyc.com