Videogame advertising: Institution

Remember the key types of institution behind videogame advertising:

Game developer: creates and designs game
Game publisher: manufactures the game, sells copies to retailers, pays for advertising and marketing.
Advertising agency: creates the marketing campaign for the game.
Regulator: gives the game a rating and addresses complaints or concerns. 

Complete the following tasks on your blog.

Task 1: developers and publishers

Research the following game developers/publishers:

Rockstar Games
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

EA (Electronic Arts)
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

Zynga
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

Nintendo
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

Sony Computer Entertainment
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:


Task 2: Advertising agencies

Look at the following advertising agency websites:

W+K Amsterdam

1. What do the letters stand for? (Clue: look at the very bottom of the website)
2. What brands have W+K Amsterdam advertised?
3. In your opinion, what is the most creative campaign on their website?
4. What videogame campaigns have they created?
5. What additional information can you find out about the FIFA14 advertising campaign?

Rokkan

1. How long has the Rokkan advertising agency been around for?
2. Where is Rokkan based?
3. What brands have Rokkan advertised?
4. Why was Rokkan's campaign for the videogame 'Dishonored' so successful?
5. Who was the publisher for 'Dishonored'?

Task 3: Regulatory bodies

PEGI

Visit the PEGI website and have a look around. 

Now click on the FAQ section of the website and answer the following questions:

1. What is PEGI and where is PEGI based?
2. How does PEGI rate games?
3. What are the age classifications used by PEGI?
4. What are the seven aspects that PEGI look for when giving a game a rating (e.g. violence)?
5. What is PEGI online? What does PEGI online regulate?

ASA

Visit the Advertising Standards Authority website and have a look around. 

Now click on the About section of the ASA website and answer the following questions:

1. What is the ASA's mission?
2. What are the ASA's values?

Now click on the Rulings section of the website. This is where the ASA reports on recent complaints and whether they upheld the complaint or rejected it.

Choose one of the complaints and write the following:

1. The company that was advertising:
2. Why someone complained:
3. Whether the complaint was upheld and why:

If you complete everything in class, choose another complaint and write about what it involved and whether it was upheld. Do you agree with the ruling?

Anything you don't complete in class must be completed for homework.

Due: Friday 2 May

Case study 2: Wii Party

Answer all of the following questions on your blog to complete your Wii Party case study.

General research

1. When was Wii Party released on the Nintendo Wii?
2. Which developer/institution created Wii Party?
3. How many copies has the game sold since release?

Broadcast

1. What are the key conventions of a videogame TV advert? What would you expect to see in most videogame TV adverts?
2. How many of the key conventions you have listed above appear in the Wii Party TV adverts? List them with specific details from the Wii Party TV adverts.
3. What is the typical setting for Wii Party TV adverts? Why is that setting used?
4. How might the setting appeal to families?
5. What celebrities do the adverts feature?
6. What do you notice about the celebrities' costume and make-up?
7. Why do you think those particular celebrities were chosen?
8. What do the celebrities suggest about the Wii Party target audience?
9. What else can you learn about the Wii Party target audience from the TV adverts? Suggest a demographic profile: gender, age, social class etc.
10. What audience pleasures do the Wii Party TV adverts offer to viewers? Refer to Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when answering this question.
11. What examples of branding can you find in the Wii Party TV adverts - either for the game itself or Nintendo Wii?
12. Do you think the TV adverts were effective for promoting the Wii Party game?

Print

1. Find a Wii Party review from a magazine or newspaper. What does the review suggest about the target audience for the game?
2. Is the review positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from the review to support this view.
3. Do you think magazine reviews are effective in promoting the game to Wii Party's target audience?

E-media

1. Visit the Wii Party website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a Wii Party fan?
2. What do you notice about the people in the scrolling central image featured on the website?
3. How many times can you find the words 'friends' or 'family' used on the official website? Why do you think the website emphasises this aspect of the game?
4. What is the colour scheme for the website? What does this suggest about the target audience?
5. Look at the 'Video Gallery' on the official website. What do the 'Invitation' videos suggest about the Wii Party target audience?
6. How many 'likes' has the Wii Party/Wii Party U Facebook wall had?
7. How does the Wii Party Facebook wall cross-promote other Nintendo games? Find three examples and explain why they appeal to the Wii Party target audience.
8. Wii Party does not have such a strong presence on other social networking sites. Why do you think this is?
9. Which platform do you think is strongest in promoting Wii Party to its target audience - broadcast, print or e-media? Why?

Complete for homework - due next week Friday.

Easter homework: Independent case study research

Complete the following questions and tasks on your blog to create your own, independent case study on a game advertising campaign of your choosing.

Name of game:

Release date:

Institutions behind the game (game studio/publisher):

Print

1. What print adverts were used to advertise the game? Find examples and post them on your blog.
2. What key conventions of print adverts can you find on the example you have chosen? Product name? Font? Slogan? Central image? Colour?
3. Find three reviews for your game that were originally published in videogame magazines. Are they positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from each review.
4. Did your game feature on any videogame magazine front covers? Find examples and explain why a front cover feature is so successful in promoting a game to its target audience.

Broadcast

1. Did your chosen game use a TV advert to promote the game? Embed it from YouTube if it did.
2. Is there a game trailer on YouTube? Embed it on your blog and explain why it is effective in promoting the game to its target audience.
3. Can you find any other broadcast features on the game - interviews, launch party events, video reviews, clips of the gameplay on YouTube etc. Write about how they effectively promote the game to its target audience.

E-media

1. Visit your chosen game's official website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of its target audience?
2. Are there any creative or interesting aspects to the game's official website?
3. Does the game have a YouTube channel?
4. Can you find any examples of user-generated content on YouTube that players have created and uploaded from the game? Embed any examples on your blog.
5. How does user-generated content such as gameplay videos help to promote the game?
6. How many 'likes' has your chosen game's Facebook wall had?
7. Choose five of the posts on the Facebook page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the game's target audience.
8. What is your chosen game's Twitter hashtag?
9. How did the campaign use Twitter to promote the game?
10. Can you find any other creative uses of e-media to promote the game? This might include hashtags, competitions, Instagram, user-generated campaigns or anything else that is designed to draw attention to the game.

Other

1. What else can you find from the marketing and promotion of your chosen game? A launch event? Stories appearing in newspapers? Celebrity endorsement? Scandal or controversy?
2. Write down anything else of interest at the end of your case study blogpost.

This is your Easter homework.

Due: Wednesday 23 April.

FIFA14 case study

Answer the following questions on your blog to complete your FIFA14 case study.

Print

1. Find a FIFA14 print advert and describe how it promotes the game.
2. What key conventions of print adverts can you find on the FIFA ad? Product name? Font? Slogan? Central image? Colour?
3. Find three reviews for FIFA14 that were originally published in videogame magazines. Are they positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from each review.
4. Why are magazine reviews effective in promoting the game to FIFA14's target audience?
5. In your opinion, is print or e-media more effective in reaching the FIFA14 target audience?

Broadcast

1. Watch the FIFA14 TV advert on YouTube. How the does the advert attract an audience?
2. Why is Lionel Messi driving the van?
3. How does the TV advert feature the FIFA14 brand? Font? Slogan? Main star?
4. Why is there a combination of famous footballers, celebrities and regular people in the advert?
5. Watch the FIFA14 trailer on YouTube. How does it differ from the TV advert?
6. Why is the trailer effective in promoting the game?

E-media

1. Visit the FIFA14 website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a FIFA14 fan?
2. How many 'likes' has the FIFA14 Facebook wall had?
3. Choose five of the posts on the Facebook page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the FIFA14 target audience.
4. Find three examples of celebrity/footballer promotion on the Facebook wall and write how they promote the FIFA14 brand.
5. What is the FIFA14 Twitter hashtag?
6. What is the FIFA14 Twitter account currently tweeting about? Find three recent tweets and explain why they would appeal to the FIFA14 target audience.
7. Can you find any examples of user-generated content on YouTube? This means YouTube videos of FIFA14 gameplay that players have created and uploaded themselves. Embed at least three videos on your blog.

Remember, this is homework to complete in the Easter holidays. 

Due: Wednesday 23 April

Exam topic: Marketing and Promotion of Videogames

Exam details: Marketing and Promotion of Videogames

• Media Studies Unit 1 exam
• Worth 40% of the GCSE
• Wednesday 11 June 2014 (AM)
• Pre-release briefing material given out 16 May along with revision pack
• Notes cannot be taken into exam
• Four tasks worth 15 marks each
• 20 minutes per task

What does the topic include?

• Advertising campaigns for new videogames: print, broadcast and e-media
• Promotional events/social media campaigns to raise awareness of new games
• How a videogames audience is targeted
• How games on different platforms use marketing to generate income and profit

What does it NOT include?

• How specific games are played
• The design of videogames themselves
• Anything to do with consoles/hardware

The exam

• Q1: Knowledge of exam topic – must use examples from your case studies
• Q2: Your pitch for new campaign
• Q3: An additional question about your idea, often relating to audience
• Q4:  A practical design task

Case studies

For Q1 in the exam, you need at least four case studies of existing videogame advertising campaigns. 

We will cover two in class and you will choose two to research at home.

For all four case studies, you need to cover the three platforms: print, broadcast and e-media. 

The case studies are vital for two reasons:

• You must mention a minimum of two campaigns in Q1 to achieve higher than a D grade.
• You can use the creative promotional ideas you find as inspiration for Q2, Q3 and Q4.

Assignment 3: Evaluation

AQA's Specification suggests evaluations should include:

• how the aims of the production have been met
• how the product applies appropriate codes and conventions and uses appropriate media language
• how the product represents people, places or events
• where and when the product would be exhibited 
• what regulations and controls might be applied to the product and how these have been taken into consideration
• the strengths and weaknesses of the product in terms of meeting the needs of its audience.

Use the following guidance to help you:

Evaluate your video production

Word count: 800 words (10 marks)

Introduction (50 words)

• Brief introduction to your music video - track/artist/concept.
• What other music videos were you inspired by or did you watch as part of your research?

Target audience (100 words)

• Detailed audience demographics: gender, age, social class, education or employment etc.
• Why did you choose this target audience in particular?
• Bring your target audience to life: what brands do they like? What other music artists do they listen to? How do they watch their music videos? (Online, TV, phone, tablet etc.) Where do they buy their music? Show you know your target audience inside out.

Distribution and control (100 words)

• What technology could your target audience use to watch your music video?
• How did you ensure your music video would be appropriate for websites with safe search controls?
• What controls do websites like YouTube have to protect young people from inappropriate content?

Close textual analysis of music video (350 words)

• How does your production meet the key conventions of music videos?
• Does it contain a creative concept or narrative? Use Todorov's narrative theory of equilibrium and Barthes' enigma and action codes if your video uses a narrative.
• Does it use technical conventions associated with music video? E.g. Fast-paced editing, multiple locations, visual effects, colour changes, dynamic camerawork, mise-en-scene etc.
• Choose three or four key moments from your music video and complete a detailed textual analysis justifying your decisions and explaining what the camerawork, editing, visual effects or mise-en-scene communicate to the audience.
• What are the main strengths and weaknesses of your music video? Would your target audience enjoy watching it? How could you have made your music video more professional?

Representation (150 words)

• What representations did you create in your music video? Did it challenge or reinforce typical stereotypes? 
• Did you try to create a certain representation of the young people in your music video? (E.g. positive, negative, shocking etc.) How would your target audience respond to your representation of young people?
• Did you create particular representations of any other groups in your production? (Men, women, age, race or ethnicity etc.)

Personal response/conclusion (50 words)

• How well do you feel you have met the original brief? Do you think your product would be successful in the media marketplace? Why?

Mark scheme:

Level 6 (9-10 marks)

They evaluate their products making cogent and critical connections between the experience of carrying out the production and all the key concepts. Evaluation responses are communicated using accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

KEY WORDS and CONCEPTS to use in your Evaluation:

Genre: hybrid, sub-genre etc.

Representation: of people/places/events; stereotypes, negative/positive representations.

Connotation: of colour, mise-en-scene, camera shots, camera movement etc.

Mise-en-scene: use of costume, lighting, actors, makeup, props, setting.

Iconography: how does your music video use the iconography associated with your genre of music (e.g. costume, props, locations etc.)

Institution: Who produces the music video? How is the music video broadcast? What expectations will the audience have as a result?  

Target Audience and demographics: age, gender, social class (and how you know), audience theory (uses and gratifications).

Regulation and Control: watershed, Ofcom, Broadcasting Code, offensive content, protecting young people.

Useful phrases to use when analysing or evaluating:

• This tells the audience...
• This could signify...
• A possible interpretation of this is...
• The audience could infer that...
• This shows the audience...
• The objective of this shot was…
• This suggests to the audience...
• From this, the audience will understand that...
• This connotes...
• This is significant because...
• This creates...
• This emphasises...

Assignment 3: Regulation and control

The one aspect of the evaluation we haven’t covered in Media this year is regulation and control. This concerns the rules regarding inappropriate content – and is something you need to be aware of when producing your video.

The television industry is regulated by Ofcom (Office of Communications).

Regulate: Control or supervise by means of rules and regulations.

Does Ofcom regulate the internet?

No. The internet is self-regulating, which means individual service providers are responsible for content. 

In addition, websites such as Google offer ‘safe search’ options to allow parents to filter out offensive material. Similarly, YouTube safety mode is used to block videos that might be inappropriate for younger viewers. Find out more here.