Presidential candidate Barrack Obama isn’t a big gamer, but he does know how to reach them. Obama is buying up ad space in eighteen video games, with Guitar Hero and Madden ’09 among the targeted titles.
The ads will be placed, in-game, on billboards and other places where an unobtrusive sign can be placed or hung. The video game ads will target states that allow early voting: Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Montana, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, and Florida.
Obama spokesperson, Nick Shapiro said, "These ads will help us expand the reach of VoteforChange.com, so that more people can use this easy tool to find their early vote location and make sure their voice is heard."
The Obama campaign will be buying up game ad space in Electronic Arts’ staples such as NASCAR, NBA, NHL and skateboarding.
Obama will be the first presidential candidate to ever use video games as a medium to reach potential voters. ""It reaches an audience that is typically hard to reach – young males, roughly 18 to 34. That’s very appealing to our advertisers," said Holly Rockwood of Electronic Arts.
It is very unlikely that McCain will counter with his own in-game ads as reports have indicated that he is not as tech savvy as Obama.
[via AP]
