[arg_discuss] Copycat warning over alternative reality games

[Brian Clark]

No one took "The Hand Grenade" Monello's bait, eh? No assist from me, sir:
this was what had me foaming at the mouth 2 ARGfests ago.

"ARG" isn't just "a marketing approach" ... it is one that isn't even loved
by marketers. Attempts to reclaim in the word in non-ironic ways are doomed
to failure, which is why very few of us as practitioners use that word
anymore.

Upsides are broader than even what "The Hand Grenade" suggests, though, as
his definition still doesn't provide a place for non-fiction in that
continuum. Or maybe what ever supplants ARG only cares about obvert fiction,
but the same principles work without having to play make believe.

But in reality, that news story is no stranger than "Marketers Still
Struggle To Understand This Strange Nightmare World They Inherited".


:)


-----Original Message-----
From: arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org [mailto:arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org] On
Behalf Of Mike Monello
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 10:52 AM
To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG
Subject: [arg_discuss] Copycat warning over alternative reality games

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.





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





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