Super Mario World

Why Adding Brands to Games Is So Hard with Bastian Bergmann

Video games represent a uniquely powerful medium for human transformation, driven by the fundamental human impulse for play.

• Brands should prioritize low-lift partnerships within existing gaming ecosystems rather than building custom experiences from scratch to mitigate risk and development costs.
• Successful brand integration requires shifting from traditional advertising to gamification that aligns with the inherent mechanics of play, as seen in Peloton’s Lane Break and Dettol’s Roblox campaigns.
• To move beyond vague awareness metrics, organizations must establish business-aligned KPIs such as loyalty sign-ups and long-term retention to track the effectiveness of gaming initiatives.