‘Virtual outdoor’ ads for Mini Canada’s launch of its special editions are now embedded in the landscapes of 23 popular video games, including online PC and Xbox environments on Microsoft’s video game network, Massive Network. In billboards overlooking the baseball field or walls of a racetrack, the in-video game ads open the doors for connecting with an extremely targeted consumer group, allowing gamers to interact with the brand, if they choose to do so. The virtual outdoor component of the Mini Canada campaign was approved by the game developers to prevent the brand’s interference with game play.

Massive has worked with automotive brands before, in fact, Toyota was Massive’s debut interactive in-game video advertiser in July for the 2007 Yaris sedan.

‘We are proud to be on the cutting edge of this new trend,’ says Mini Canada brand communications manager Marc Belcourt. ‘In-video game ads give gamers an exciting new way to interact with Mini in an environment they are passionate about.’ The fall campaign was coordinated by The Media Company, with ads developed in Mini’s AOR, Taxi 2. Other components include national radio spots, online streaming video ad-units, search engine marketing, online banner ads, showroom posters and Mini.ca homepage videos.

MINI virtual outdoor ads can be found in the various online Xbox and PC racing games and other titles such as: Major League Baseball – MLB 2K6 (Xbox), Rainbow Six Lockdown (PC and Xbox), Anarchy Online (PC), Splinter Cell 3 (PC), SWAT 4 (PC), Cycling Manager 2006 (PC), Planetside (PC), Renegade Paintball (PC), Trackmania Original Game (PC), The Matrix (PC), Entropia Universe (PC), and World Tour Golf.

www.MINI.ca, www.massiveincorporated.com