Electronic Arts has formed EA Advertising, a new division intended to make brand collaboration easier across its games and platforms. The company’s stated goal is to embed brands directly into the game experience while ensuring that the result enhances play instead of interrupting it.
EA Advertising is organised around three strands: in-game integration, in-game media and real-world experiences. Under the first category, brands could appear through custom cosmetic items, branded challenges and live events. EA is also exploring more discreet formats, including overlays and sponsored replays, in a model that resembles advertising in sports broadcasts. The third strand covers physical events and sponsorships connected with EA brands.
The company has already used partnerships in some of its games. EA Sports FC previously featured work with Visa and Red Bull, including special shirts and promotions, while The Sims hosted fashion and beauty content from Coach. The new unit suggests that EA wants to scale these ideas more broadly.
The move comes as the cost of making games continues to rise, which has intensified discussion across the industry about product placement as a possible way to help finance development. The debate is not limited to EA: Xbox Strategy President Matthew Ball has said he views ad-supported models positively in entertainment, provided they do not harm the player experience, and former BioWare developer Mark Darrah has also pointed to product placement as one possible answer to higher costs. How visible EA’s ads will become in future games remains to be seen.
