[arg_discuss] Copycat warning over alternative reality games

[Mike Cox]

IECOMPIBDOs, the new ARGs.  ;)

http://www.operationsleepercell.com/

skype: mikeyjcox
twitter: mikeyj


On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 8:32 AM, Dan Hon <dan at sixtostart.com> wrote:


> The article in the magazine is actually much longer - I'm trying to get

> hold of a print copy at the moment. Suffice to say that we're trying really,

> really hard to stop talking about "ARGs" - instead talking about

> "traditional ARGs" and the new, more general, cross-platform

> entertainment/game hotness. Which, really, is just Interesting and Engaging

> Content, Optimised to the Medium and Platform It's Being Delivered On.

>

> --

> Dan Hon, CEO, Six to Start

> m: +44 7870 600 828

> t: +44 33 3340 7490, f: +44 33 3340 7494

>

>

>

>

>

> On 9 Oct 2008, at 16:29, Adrian Hon wrote:

>

>  Yeah, not a lot in that article surprises me; just confirms that these

>> guys don't really understand what's going on. I don't really have a

>> lot to offer this discussion other than saying 'I agree'. Certainly

>> it's a shame that ARGs are being pigeonholed in this way (not that

>> 'ARG' as a term holds a lot of useful meaning). Most of the

>> interesting work is being done outside of marketing, right now.

>>

>> Adrian

>>

>> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 4:02 PM, Brian Clark <bclark at gmdstudios.com>

>> wrote:

>>

>>> 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

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> ARG_Discuss mailing list

>>> ARG_Discuss at igda.org

>>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/arg_discuss

>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> ARG_Discuss mailing list

>>> ARG_Discuss at igda.org

>>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/arg_discuss

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>

>>

>> --

>> Adrian Hon - mssv.net

>> Chief Creative at Six to Start - www.sixtostart.com

>> Founder of Let's Change the Game - www.letschangethegame.org

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>>

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