The Breakdown
Trend · Games as a media (and giving) channel
Games aren't just ad space anymore. They're where culture lives
A charity taking donations of Counter-Strike skins. A beauty album inside Roblox. Xbox ad breaks in the news. Gaming is becoming a place for real brand behaviour.
The TL;DR (too long; didn't read)
- Brands are building inside game economies and communities.
- Respecting the culture is non-negotiable.
- The best ideas use behaviours gamers already have.
01
From banners to behaviours
Old approach: put a logo in the game. New approach: fit into what players already do, like trading, collecting and customising.
02
Culture first
Gamers can spot inauthentic brands instantly. Kirkens Korshær worked with a specialist gaming unit (Nord FTW), and that expertise shows.
03
Watch-outs
Young audiences, virtual currencies and in-game economies raise real questions about ethics and regulation. Tread carefully.
Read the original reporting
- Danish charity Kirkens Korshær launches digital thrift store for gamers ↗
Creative Review · 30 Sept 2026
- E.l.f. jams to second music album under entertainment marketing arm ↗
Marketing Dive · 28 Sept 2026
- The Week in Tech: Xbox ad breaks and Google’s category shifting product launch ↗
Marketing Week · 23 Sept 2026
The theory bit
The academic ideas that explain what's going on, with the full reference for your assignments.
Spreadable media & participatory culture
Content travels when audiences can reshape and share it for their own purposes. Fans are participants, not just receivers.
Here: Game communities are participatory. Brands succeed when players can take part, not just watch.
Jenkins, H., Ford, S. & Green, J. (2013). Spreadable Media. NYU Press.
Gamification
Using game design elements (points, progress, competition) in non-game contexts to motivate behaviour.
Here: Game mechanics like collecting and progress can motivate brand behaviours too.
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R. & Nacke, L. (2011). From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness. Proceedings of MindTrek '11.
Over to you
No right answers here. These are to get you thinking. Jot your ideas down or chat them through.
- 1
What do you or your friends actually do in games beyond playing?
Need a nudge?
Trading, streaming, designing, chatting.
- 2
What makes a brand feel welcome in a game, and what makes it feel like an intruder?
Need a nudge?
Value vs interruption.
- 3
What ethical lines should brands not cross in games?
Need a nudge?
Kids, gambling-like mechanics.
Optional · about 10 minutes
Your mini task
In 60–120 words: suggest a brand idea that fits a behaviour players already have in a game you know. Name the game, the behaviour, and why players would welcome it.