Be In The Ad

from the entertainment-as-advertising dept

I guess it's the next logical step. As broadcasters and advertisers are trying to figure out how to trick people into watching advertisements at the same time that video game companies are running promotions that will put your picture into their games, it didn't take long for advertisers to let viewers put themselves into commercials. That's the latest plan from Bud Light, anyway. They have a new online system that will let people upload pictures, and create virtual characters that can then be emailed around to friends. Other companies appear to be using the same technology to create their own virtual online spokespeople. This goes somewhat beyond product placement to the point where the advertisement itself is the entertainment.