Look. We aren’t Witchers. You can toss as many coins at us as you want….we aren’t fighting any balverines, leshens or tonberries. But if the upcoming battle is perfecting your video game ads, our marketing tips make for perfect pre-fight reading.
If your bad ad gets loose, you can’t reload the save. This isn’t like fighting Malenia or playing a Nuzlocke run in Kanto …once the damage is done, it’s done. Our tips on Navi-gating lootboxes, age, misleadingness and more can be your phoenix down. Bringing your ads back into the game before the “You Died” screen has a chance to load. Let’s blitz off, then, shall we?
Got a selection of good things on sale, stranger!
“Remember…no refunds” - a business policy that might work on Pandora, but if your game has loot boxes, there’s a chance of being left dead by daylight. CAP have published an Enforcement Notice on the disclosure of loot boxes in app stores. That’s worth a browse before dropping rupees on a new boomerang. The reality is, though, that If your game has in-app purchases, you need disclose this in your ads. The disclosure needs to be prominently displayed too, not hidden away like it’s hiding from Powder Gangers in Goodspring. It doesn’t matter whether players use GBP or virtual currency either. Welcome to the circus of value indeed.
We need to talk about depictions of violence
When you’re exploring the Capital Wasteland, the “bloody mess” perk is quite useful. In real life though…less so. Excessively gory content in ads, especially where children can see it, can leave your ads drege-ing below safety if they aren’t careful. Ads featuring street fighting, manhunts, or violence in general should dial it back to avoid a fatality. Gaming ads for people with a need for speed should consider the real world ramifications of their content to avoid their ads ending up with burnout. Not every child has a persona or an electrical mouse to look after them so ads featuring children getting hurt will need to reboot the franchise. When chasing the call of duty and trying to produce a fable-worthy ad, read our wider rulebook to avoid your ads ending up in silent hill.
The cake is a lie
Imagine it. GTA VI is finally released, some say the most anticipated videogame in history, and it turns out to be a roguelite deckbuilding game. All hell would be let loose! Misleading ads are certainly among us. Featuring gameplay or graphics that are a far cry from reality will leave gamers with a dark cloud over their head. Exaggerated graphics or gameplay are one way to leave gamers feeling the evil within. Disclaimers, hidden like assassins below a creed of text won’t give dishonoured marketers with a portal to crafty loopholes either. And if your ad is showing gameplay from a different game entirely, that’s a battlefield no dark soul can survive. Keeping your ads grounded in reality is the best way to avoid your ads becoming a dark chronicle.
Let me guess... someone stole your sweet roll
You don’t need to work out the calorie content of monster-hunted steak and cooking mama doesn’t need to figure out the salt content of her recipes. But in real life, there is a whole littlebigplanet load of restrictions on less healthy foods (LHF) and foods with high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). If your videogame is doing a tie in with foods in these categories, be careful not to let your ads end up overcooked. Now if you excuse us, we have a reservation at the Stardrop Saloon.
“Nothing is true, everything is permitted”. Poor advice for advertisers.
Video games featuring adult sexual content need to be extremely careful when they advertise or they’ll quickly become dead space. Making sure sexual content is kept more than a big walk away from children is a pretty obvious way to avoid your ads being thrown into an oblivion gate. The reality is that ads causing serious or widespread offence don’t belong in a respectful civilisation. Being peak edgy will lead your ads down a path of exile and we will sanction advertisers that go a step too far.
I don’t need a weapon; my friends (in Copy Advice) are my power!
Move over Clank, Tails, Garrus Vakarian and all the other video game companions. Because our Copy advice team will make the perfect companion. Our team of experts don’t need the promise of a medal of honor to help your ads from being kicked into the skyrim. With their expert help, you can be safe in the knowledge your next dragon quest will leave you a certified apex legend.
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