Advergaming is arguably one of the sub-sectors within the serious games industry that's the furthest along in the space. Previous Serious Games Summits have spent little time exploring and outlining the field of advergaming, game-based messaging, or even the growing trend of using games and game culture as overall marketing approaches. Yet the field continues to grow in dollar value and impact.

This year, a four-hour block of advergaming content is presented over two-days which explores all aspects of the advergaming and game-based market field, including:
Stand-alone casual advergames
Large scale advergaming efforts such as AMERICA'S ARMY and NAVY STRIKE & RETRIEVE
In-game product placement
The role of original games in driving PR
In-game billboards and video advertising
Marketing and sponsorship tie-in projects, such as pro-gaming leagues
Non-profit and social messaging, such as CATCH-THE-SPERM
Propoganda and political advertising

AGENDA:

10:15-10:40am: Kim Gregson, "Academic Research on Advergaming"

Description: Research and especially academically rigorous research is a staple in the advertising field. Advergaming being the new kid on the block is still catching up. Kim Gregson from Ithaca College will present an overview of academic research into advergaming and inform the audience about the academic interest, work, and role is for advergaming.

10:40-11:05am: Jameson Hsu, "Tracking Advergaming: What We've Learned"

Description: Jameson Hsu is a veteran advergaming developer who is now CEO of Mochi Media, which has built Mochibot a tool that advergame developers are using to track game traffic. During this presentation he will share what this aggregate data has shown them about advergaming on the Internet and various related behaviors.

11:05-11:15am: BREAK

11:15-11:40am: Dan Ferguson, "The Basics of Portals and Advergaming"

Description: Often portals are the place where advergames are positioned to meet an audience. Be it a generic games portal or a portal specific to a company or brand the interaction between the dynamics of portal audience and business deals and advergaming is substantial. Dan Ferguson of Block Dot will provide an overview of this important element of advergaming.

11:40am-12pm: Eric Schwertzel, "Integrating Games into a Comprehensive Marketing Campaign for Consumer Packaged Goods"

Description: Can integrating off-the-shelf games into a packaged goods campaign work to build mindshare? In this case study presentation, Eric Schwertzel will detail the thinking and execution of a consumer package goods campaign that is using major casual game downloads to attract audience and brand awareness among a young target demographic.

12-12:15pm: Gerard LaFond, "The Anti-Advergame: Social Criticism in Advergaming?"

Description: Not all advergames build brands or their subject matter up. Some tear it down. In this closing presentation, Gerard Lafond details how they've developed Disaffected! an anti-advergame that uses satire to produce public commentary about a typical life as a worker at FedEx Kinkos. Offering some strong lessons into how public discourse and messaging can be instigated through games Disaffected has garnered a lot of recent press attention.