Virtual pet site Neopets is a goldmine for advertisers, with 25 million users worldwide, four out of five of whom are under 18. Wired examines how advertisers use the immersive world, which provides perfect product placement opportunities, to reach out to Neopians in what is possibly the most successful in-game advertising around.
In the Neopets world, advertising and games mix seamlessly, with many mini-games being sponsored by
advertisers such as McDonald's and Nestlé. Neopians can also earn points by completing market research surveys; they
can watch Disney trailers and interact with real-world products such as clothing. While these ads don't provide
realism, they keep the site free, but users (and their parents) are concerned about the effect of prolonged ad exposure
on children of such an impressionable age. It seems no worse than most children's TV channels, but for a site which
prides itself on its kid-friendly atmosphere and takes steps to make the environment safe for minors, the amount of
branding seems excessive.
[via Slashdot]
