Advertising and Video Games: Michael Goldstein, DDB North America

DDB
San Francisco, Etats-Unis
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Michael Goldstein
Head of Communications Strategy DDB
 

With so many forms of digital media, and new ones always on the horizon, how do you determine which way of pushing content is the most viable?

We always start with the problem we are trying to solve and then the audience we are trying to reach. Those are two very strong filters to quickly decide which formats we want to work with, and from there it’s very important at DDB to work with media that gives us opportunities for unexpected work. Unfortunately a lot of digital media is focused on efficiencies not impact or creativity.

How does the boundless framework of the metaverse make it appealing for brands and marketers to get involved in this new form of media?

Boundless is the word there. Creatives are sick and tired of working with restrictions from big tech, it’s all best practice and specs for effectiveness, not experimentation and possibility. That’s what the metaverse can deliver, a canvas for experience that gives no limits on how we can deliver an immersive brand experience.

What plans, if any, does your agency have to expand its reach into the metaverse?

DDB is one of the few agencies that has already launched a campaign in the metaverse through our work for Miller Lite, “The Meta Lite Bar”. We’re now using our experience on that campaign to polish off filters, process and practical ways of working so we can ensure success with future metaverse projects. On top of that we’re looking into internal projects to gain further experience and spread skills across the agency.

In what ways can the increase in virtual presence lead to more successful campaigns and what would a virtual space allow you to do that traditional media hasn’t?

Something that is particularly exciting and ambitious about the campaigns in the metaverse is the concept of owning the land that a brand puts campaigns on to. Right now, all media is ‘rented’ whether it’s renting OOH space or a YouTube Pre-Roll, these are leaked investments. There’s an opportunity for brands and advertisers to own the spaces they place campaigns on, and if the campaigns resonate, that space can increase in value.

How do you anticipate the metaverse shaping new forms of storytelling in advertising?

Initially what excited us about the metaverse was the immersive factor. Here was an opportunity to take what we have perfected over decades (the memorable tv campaign) and create a narrative experience that can deliver an even deeper understanding of the brand to audiences. What is surprising though, is that metaverse campaigns have turned out to be pretty good at driving more commercial objectives, like consideration and trial. I loved the Chipotle Burrito Builder in Roblox. It brought people in with experience and then led them to trial in-store.

Given the interactive nature of these virtual spaces, how do you see this affecting the way consumers consume and engage with advertisements?

Advertisers will have to work even harder to get attention from consumers. We will have to create experiences that genuinely add value to metaverse platforms. A good example is the Vans skate park in Roblox, it was one of the more popular games on the platform, showing that if you offer value, people will interact.