RECALL ADVANTAGE
+13 points
Above the digital average
Ad recall in Anzu & Happydemics’ 110-campaign analysis. Percentage points, not a 13% relative lift. [1]
THE EVIDENCE BEHIND ADS THAT BELONG
Part of the world.
Top of mind.
Advertising can fit the game and still make an impression. Research on intrinsic in-game ads shows a compelling opportunity for brand recall, consideration, and real-world sales.
We call the approach camouflage marketing: recognizable brands on billboards, posters, and signs that fit their surroundings. Researchers usually call these intrinsic in-game ads or in-game product placements.
Evidence reviewed October 30, 2026 · Third-party research, not Immersed Advertising campaign results
PROMPTED MEMORY
49%
Remembered with a prompt
Average prompted recall reported by Anzu & Lumen in 2023. This measures recall after exposure, not long-term retention. [2]
MEASURED RETAIL SALES
+24%
More spent on Gatorade
Nielsen’s 2010 EA SPORTS study reported higher household spending. A historical brand case, not a forecast for every advertiser. [3]
THE NUMBERS, WITH THEIR COMPARISONS
What players see. What they remember.
Each comparison below comes from the same published study or its stated benchmark. Different studies measure different outcomes; these numbers should not be combined into a single conversion rate.
| Measure | In-game result | Comparison | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad recall [1] | +13 percentage points | Above the digital media average | 2024 campaign benchmark analysis; the release does not give the absolute recall rates. |
| Prompted recall [2] | 49% | No comparable recall norm in the release | Recall with a cue. Do not compare directly with unaided recall or call it a retention rate. |
| Viewability [2] | 98% | 78% digital ad norm | 20 percentage points higher. An opportunity to see an ad does not prove it was remembered. |
| Average viewing time [2] | 3.1 seconds | 2.9 seconds digital ad norm | 0.2 seconds longer; this is attention time, not memory duration. |
| Purchase consideration [1] | +5 percentage points | Above online media average; +5 vs. video, +3 vs. display, +2 vs. connected TV | Stated consideration, not completed purchases. |
FROM ATTENTION TO BUSINESS VALUE
A credible path
to more purchases.
Our business thesis: a visible, recognizable brand inside a game can become a brand a player considers later. That makes in-game placements worth testing alongside the rest of a marketing plan.
The strongest evidence goes beyond survey answers. Nielsen examined Gatorade placements across six EA SPORTS titles and reported a 24% increase in household dollars spent. [3]
The test compared game-buying households with non-buying households using before-and-after purchase data. It measured spending, not transaction count; it was not a randomized test of AI-restyled billboards.
- 01
Be present during play
Put a readable brand where the player naturally looks, without pausing the game.
- 02
Build a memory worth keeping
Preserve the logo and message. A placement must be noticeable enough to register while fitting the scene.
- 03
Earn a place in the choice set
Recall and consideration can support a later purchase. Price, relevance, availability, and the offer still matter.
- 04
Measure incremental sales
Compare a campaign group with a suitable holdout. Track additional purchases and revenue, then compare acquisition cost with other channels.
WHY THIS MARKET MATTERS
The audience is already here.
ESA & YouGov’s 2026 research estimates 212.3 million Americans play at least an hour a week, up 7.2 million from 2025. The average player is 37. [6]
This gives brands a substantial audience to explore across genres and age groups. Ads that fit existing environments offer another way to reach that audience while play continues.
The national estimate covers ages 5–90 and all gaming platforms. It is not our available inventory or an estimate of eligible players; Immersed Advertising accepts games for players 13 and over.
FIT THE SCENE. KEEP THE BRAND.
Camouflage should not mean invisible.
Immersed Advertising redraws an ad in the game’s art style, with advertiser approval. Our aim is to preserve a recognizable message in a coherent scene.
The research supports testing this approach, but does not prove our art adaptation improves recall or sales over the original creative. That specific claim needs a direct comparison.
Lee & Faber’s peer-reviewed study found that highly incongruent brands could be recalled better than brands that closely matched the game. Contextual fit and visual art-style matching are also different variables. [4]
A strong opportunity, with results worth testing.
Performance varies with the game, placement, creative, and audience. Dentsu’s 2024 research found strong attention but variable recall across gaming formats, with its overall gaming recall result below its norm. Its Twitch and rewarded-video findings should not be attributed to in-world billboards. [5]
Most commercial findings here come from advertising suppliers and their measurement partners. They are useful directional evidence, not a universal head-to-head experiment. None establishes guaranteed sales or superior long-term memory for Immersed Advertising.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
Studies & source notes
Primary publishers are linked below. Dates identify the research, so an older case study is not mistaken for a current market benchmark.
- INDUSTRY BENCHMARK · MARCH 2024
Anzu & Happydemics — Full-funnel research ↗
110 intrinsic in-game campaigns compared with a database spanning 600+ advertisers, 60 industries, and 30 formats. Supplier-published analysis; the release does not disclose respondent counts, uncertainty intervals, or retention-test delays.
- ATTENTION & RECALL · JUNE 2023
Anzu & Lumen — Attention research ↗
Two-year research program reporting prompted recall, viewability, and viewing time. Supplier-published summary; no matched recall comparator or long-term retention interval is supplied for the 49% figure.
- OBSERVED PURCHASES · SEPTEMBER 2010
Nielsen — Video Game Advertising: Playing to Win… and Sell ↗
EA/Gatorade analysis using Nielsen’s 100,000+ U.S. household panel; the relevant game-buying subset size is not stated. Placements included arena signs, bottles, and score updates. Historical observational evidence for one brand, not proof of a general transaction lift.
- PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH · 2007
Lee & Faber — Effects of Product Placement in On-Line Games on Brand Memory ↗
Journal of Advertising, 36(4), 75–90. The published abstract reports that placement location, player experience, involvement, and brand–game congruity affect memory. It cautions against assuming closer fit always produces higher recall. Full text may require access.
- CROSS-FORMAT ATTENTION · JANUARY 2024
Dentsu & Lumen — Attention across gaming environments ↗
Research with Anzu, Twitch, and Activision Blizzard separates intrinsic ads, livestreaming, and rewarded video. Eye tracking and brand measures show why attention and recall must be evaluated separately.
- AUDIENCE RESEARCH · JUNE 2026
ESA & YouGov — 2026 Essential Facts ↗
Weighted U.S. online survey of 13,545 respondents, February 11–25, 2026. Measures the gaming audience, not advertising effectiveness, campaign reach, or sales conversion.
SEE HOW YOUR BRAND FITS
Give your next campaign
a world to belong to.
Explore three free AI samples of your ad in a game’s art style.