Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

October 14, 2008

GameSpot's Brendan Sinclair is reporting that those now-famous Obama ads running in Burnout Paradise are visible only to gamers who are connecting to Xbox Live from 10 potential battleground states. From GameSpot's coverage:

The EA representative said the ads would only appear in 10 different states, most of them contested battleground states. Paradise City residents in Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wisconsin are being targeted by the campaign...

The Obama campaign is only running on the Xbox 360 version of the game, as it was handled by Microsoft-owned in-game ad firm Massive Incorporated... As for the absence of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, the EA representative said Massive had approached the Arizona senator's campaign about Burnout advertising.

GamePolitics broke the news of the ads last Thursday.

UPDATE: The Seattle Times is now quoting EA PR rep Holly Rockwood to the effect that the Obama ads are running in eight additional games:

  • Madden 09
  • Nascar 09
  • NBA Live 08
  • Need for Speed Carbon
  • Need for Speed Pro Street
  • NFL on Tour
  • NHL 09
  • Skate
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Comments

Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by DarkTetsuya on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 21:18.

Whoa, Obama ads in NFSC? I'll have to keep an eye out. (Yeah it came out in 2006, but I only recently got into the game and have been playing it to death ever since. :P)

EDIT: my bad, battleground states only... I don't know if CA is or not.

-- "Jack and listen are two words that don't go together...just like Jack and sanity, Jack and truth, Jack and proof, Jack and win..." -- sortableturnip | http://www.orangeloungeradio.com/

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Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by Dark Sovereign on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 23:59.

I wouldn't bet on it.

Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by Dragunov765 on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 16:18.

It makes sense, I suppose.

Why pay for advertising in states you know you're going to win (or lose)?  I imagine that saves them a couple bucks.

Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by Kevin on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 16:12.

I just keep seeing Gillette Fusion ads... but then I'm in Canada.

Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by Ashkihyena on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 15:14.

>.>;;; Howabout running it in no states?

Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by Leet Gamer Jargon on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 15:23.

Actually, I would prefer it to be all or none. If I'm gonna fly through the air and smash things going a thousand miles an hour, I wanna be able to see the billboard in whatever state I'm playing in.

Game on, brothers and sisters.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither." -- Ben Franklin Game on, brothers and sisters.

Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by Ashkihyena on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 15:35.

As long as you could destroy the billboard when you crash into it, cause I wouldn't mind that since I don't like the guy, otherwise, I could do without.


Re: Obama Burnout Ads Running Only in Battleground States

Submitted by ezbiker555 on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 15:10.

Thats pretty cool idea for the election.

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