Experiential Consumption of Video Game and In-Show Ads: Phenomenological Explanation through Thought Experimentation

Video games provide a unique communicative playground in which advertisers should participate. In this milieu, advertisers are taking advantage of the experiential nature of video gaming by speaking to the product interests, via in-game advertising (IGA), of a captive and engaged audience. Additionally, within movies and television, brand and product placement simulate reality by marketing a given brand or product while providing the consumer with clues to actor preferences and personalities. Although commonly practiced, IGA effects remain relatively arcane. Also, as in-show advertising (ISA) has not been exhaustively explored in the television and film industries, further technological advances toward interactive television and digital graphical interfaces offer exponentially expanding marketing opportunities for the ISA researcher. In partial closure of these research fissures, the authors propose multiple thought experiments grounded in the experiential consumption of video game and in-show ads. The proposed thought experiment suggests measuring how gamers' dopamine levels vary based on promotional exposure.