# Political Ads in Video Games Obama Billboard in 'Burnout Paradise' By Going Like Sixty | Published 2008-10-15 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/obama-campaign-has-billboard-in-burnout-paradise References: [industry.bnet](http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/1000262/obama-using-in-game-advertising/) Wow has advertising changed. [Electronic Arts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/need-for-speed) has confirmed that the Obama campaign bought a virtual billboard in the [Xbox 360](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/safety-feature) game called *Burnout Paradise*. Brandweek reported that after seeing a virtual billboard ad in a video game, 11% of the gamers made an effort to engage with the brand advertised. A recent poll of Xbox 360 gamers showed Obama leading McCain by 12 percentage points. "“Like most television, radio and print outlets, we accept advertising from credible political candidates,”" an [EA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ingame-appearance) spokesperson said. “"Like political spots on the television networks, these ads do not reflect the political policies of EA or the opinions of its development teams." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 53% | Activity: 9% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **In-game Advertising:** As seen in the Obama Billboard in 'Burnout Paradise,' advertising in video games presents an opportunity for businesses to capture the attention of engaged gamers. - **Virtual Advertising:** With the Obama campaign's purchase of a virtual billboard in 'Burnout Paradise,' virtual advertising presents a space for businesses to connect with their audiences in a new and immersive way. - **Gamification Marketing:** Using games like 'Burnout Paradise' to engage with consumers through political campaign billboards presents an opportunity to capitalize on gamification marketing and incentivize consumer engagement. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Video Games:** The integration of political ads in popular video games presents an untapped marketing opportunity for video game companies to generate additional revenue streams and entice political campaigns to consider in-game advertising as part of their strategy. - **Advertising:** The success of the Obama Billboard in 'Burnout Paradise' highlights a potential avenue for advertising agencies to explore as a new and innovative way to reach younger audiences. - **Politics:** As seen in the results of the poll of Xbox 360 gamers, political campaigns could benefit from engaging with younger voters through in-game advertising to change how they digitally advertise themselves to new audiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Clear In-Game Billboard Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/american-truck-simulator.md) - [In-Game Billboard Advertising](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gameloft-for-brands.md) - [Metaverse Billboard Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/admix.md) - [Dynamic Metaverse Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metaverse-billboard.md) - [In-Game Advertising Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stackadapt.md) - [Interactive Game Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/samsung-ads-gamebreaks.md) - [Downloadable Game Beer Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stella-beer-au-naturel.md) - [Metaverse Advertising Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nft-plazas.md) - [Connected Gamer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/just-another-night-out.md)