Shake, Rattle, and Roll or Shake, Swipe, and Tilt: Mobile Food Advergames Targeting Children

摘要

Advergames on food brands' websites have gained attention and concern for their potential to reach children and engage them with playfully constructed brand messages about less nutritious foods (Lee et al. 2009; Moore and Rideout 2007; Quilliam et al. 2011). Recently, new technology such as mobile games opens up new opportunities for food marketers to avoid criticism and to reach out to children. Mobile advergames have introduced new, more interactive, mechanisms for engaging with games and brands. Where computer games limited players' active engagement to use of a keyboard and/or mouse, the new generation of games has players swiping, shaking, and tilting their screens. This form of play has the potential to reinforce brand messages that appeal to more than the visual and auditory sense, with the introduction of physical activity to the engagement mix.