Cadillac Enters Game Space

Cadillac has entered the videogame space. Through a new deal with Microsoft, the General Motors brand will offer three Cadillac V-Series verhicles (CT-V, STS-V and XLR-V) for "Project Gotham Racing 3" on Xbox. The free downloadable content pack can be access through Xbox Live. Taking things a step further, gamers who take one of these vehicles and rank in the Top 100 on the Nurburgring Full F1 Circuit track will achieve Cadillac Elite status. This Cadillac-branded ranking system will be used across games to open up doors to exclusive content, including downloadable content and real prizes.

This type of brand integration via Xbox Live is a good example of the future of in-game product placement. This deal was done through Microsoft before its Massive acquisition, but it's a great example of the types of deals that will happen this year and beyond. Free vehicle downloads are a great addition to any racing game. This same type of model can be applied to exclusive branded tracks or branded golf courses. The world of sports and racing games can follow the branding of TV sports to a degree, and then delve further into the gameplay as the Cadillac Elite status shows.

Sports and sponsorships go hand-in-hand. The ability for GM to take its Cadillac brand, which tends to skew to an older audience, and make it hip and relevant to gamers, is something that other car companies and big American brands should pay attention to. Over time, the branded ranking system will become synonymous with the top Xbox Live gamers on select games. That means the brand will be equated with greatness by the best online gamers. The fact that this branded status will also result in exclusive content and real prizes is another incentive for gamers to achieve this status. And the only way to do that is to race with a Cadillac vehicle.

I expect Microsoft to fully exploit these types of branded integration throughout Xbox Live. There's no reason why specific tournaments or entire seasons can't be sponsored by a big brand. Just look at what brands have done with college football bowl games. And videogames will reach a targeted audience for a lot more hours than any college football game. With DVRs and iPod Videos, there's less reason to watch live TV today, and gamers tend to watch what they want when they want. Cadillac wouldn't be reaching this audience any other way. That's the beauty of videogame branding like this. It doesn't distract from the gameplay. In fact, gamers see the new free cars and added value. And achieving the Cadillac status brings the potential for more free content.