Player-Centric Pros: In-House Creative Agencies are Premium Partners for In-Game Advertising

Gaming has proven to be an incredible platform for premium audience engagement and immersive advertising. Brands delving into the universe of in-game advertising can truly benefit from the seamless experience provided by in-house creative agencies, whether it’s for their first gaming venture or not. Our focus is to highlight the numerous benefits of in-house creative teams in the gaming arena that simplifies brand engagement by eliminating the need to manage multiple entities or juggle different priorities.

Why Choose In-House Creative Agencies?

Gaming has been underutilized by many advertisers despite being the world’s biggest entertainment market at $197B (NewZoo, Global Games Market Report, 2022). And as gaming fandoms grow in influence, meeting players’ high expectations for experiences has become a requirement—especially from their in-game advertising experiences. 

No one knows their players better than the game makers, thus in-house creative agencies within studio publishers come with an array of benefits. Their unparalleled understanding of player experiences across often numerous game IPs makes them adept at converting a brand's vision into enticing in-game experiences. This expertise is bolstered by a dedicated team of designers, developers, and engineers deeply rooted in the gaming industry—many of whom are gamers themselves.

In-house creative agencies offer a holistic collaborative approach with brands, starting from the initial strategic conceptualization, through the creative execution, and extending to post-campaign analysis. Their objective is to make each brand a standout in its own right, all in service of making the process simpler and easier for brands entering gaming.

Many of these internal teams have all the technical skills expected of their gaming parentage, like Activision Blizzard Media’s own Starcade Studios, ensuring the seamless integration of brands into the gaming experience.

Key Benefits of Gaming In-House Creative Service Agencies

Deep Understanding: In-house agencies have a unique insight into player experiences across a wide range of games, helping to transform a brand's vision into compelling in-game ad experiences.

Industry Expertise: With a team of dedicated designers, developers, and engineers, in-house agencies have a strong foothold in the gaming industry and can leverage this expertise to enhance a brand's presence across top-tier game titles.

Comprehensive Collaboration: In-house teams offer all-encompassing collaboration, from initial strategic brainstorming to creative execution and post-campaign analysis.

Specialized Services: In-house agencies excel in various advertising aspects, including conceptualization, animation & motion graphics, illustration, and results-driven analysis. These services guarantee a wide range of creative possibilities that can be seamlessly incorporated into the gaming experience.

Player-Centric Pros

The choice to partner with an in-house creative studio largely hinges on your brand's specific needs and goals. If you're after first hand gaming expertise, insight into player experiences, seamless integration into the gaming environment, and maximizing the halo effect of the game’s unique fandom, an in-house creative agency could be your perfect match.

Successful in-game advertising goes beyond mere selling—it's about crafting an unforgettable experience that enhances the game and puts your brand in the spotlight. In-house creative agencies are uniquely equipped to help you achieve this, whether you're aiming to make a big splash or simply seeking seamless integration into the gaming experience. 

Introducing Starcade Studios

Our in-house creative team is adept in transforming your brand's vision into engaging in-game ad experiences. With a deep understanding of the best player experiences across mobile games, our dedicated team of designers and developers will make your brand the star of the show. 

As part of Activision Blizzard, Starcade Studios brings the same finesse and attention to detail in crafting ads as we do in developing our world-renowned games. 

Click to find out more or contact us at abm@activision.com to get started.

About the Author

Meredith Worrilow Barrett is Senior Director, Global Head of Business Marketing at Activision Blizzard Media. In her role she oversees a global marketing team responsible for accelerating revenue growth through ROI-driven marketing strategies.

Previously, Meredith was Director, Global Marketing Sciences at PHD Media where she was responsible for consumer insights, measurement and ad effectiveness research for Google's Global media business. Prior to that, Meredith developed bespoke consumer research and strategies for business development at Starcom Mediavest Group. Meredith is a new mom and passionate about marketing that showcases the growing population of female gamers, especially gamer moms.