The Omnicom Advertising Collective is launching a dedicated gaming unit called LevelUp OAC, intending to lend its expertise to brands looking to expand into in-game advertising. The Marketing Arm and GSD&M will head the new unit, each lending about half of the employees required to cover the unit.
The dedicated unit will provide creative and media expertise to brands looking to enter the gaming space. Experts from both companies will come together and share their knowledge of efficient in-game media buying with brands that have set their eyes on one of the most lucrative niches in existence. Revenue in the video game industry is expected to reach $208.60 billion in 2022.
LevelUp OAC Draws Experts from Multiple Omnicom Advertising Collective Subsidiaries
Andrew Robinson Jr., group director of gaming at The Marketing Arm, Dave Kersey, GSD&M’s chief media officer, and Maria D’Amato, an executive creative director at GSD&M, will be in charge of operating LevelUp OAC. Both agencies will dedicate anywhere from 35 to 70 employees to the unit, depending on the projected needs of the newly formed gaming wing. James Fenton, CEO of the Omnicom Advertising Collective, stated that the unit would draw additional creatives from the holding company’s subsidiaries should the need arise.
GSD&M has vast experience delivering VR and AR solutions for brands, regardless of their interest in in-game advertising, which also happens to be GSD&M’s area of expertise. Their Pizza Hut AR Pac-Man game has received much media attention, which should be no surprise given the project's ingenuity.
The Marketing Arm, on the other hand, comes in with a wealth of knowledge in content creation, experiential activation, and gaming influencer engagement. Together with GSD&M, they make up an in-game advertising dream team.
Fenton echoes this sentiment:
“There are pockets of gaming expertise throughout the collective. These two agencies have embraced it and have probably the most robust gaming capabilities out of the agencies that I’ve been exposed to.”
In-Game Advertising Competition Is Steep
Other agencies are in on the whole expansion into gaming territory as well. VCCP launched VCCP+, DDB released DDB FTW to cover video game streaming and esports segments, and Publicis released Publicis Play early last year. Numerous other examples of agencies stepping up and venturing into the most lucrative industry today exist.
What separates LevelUp OAC from all the others is that it will be the only end-to-end in-game advertising solution, at least for the time being. LevelUp OAC will offer everything from strategy development, creative output, media coverage, experiential activation, and influencer marketing to the brands that see in-game advertising as the next step on their journey.
LevelUp OAC will also offer education in gaming and Web3, which is necessary for brands to understand their target demographic and new technologies better.
The Omnicom Advertising Collective of the Omnicom Group comprises various creative agencies such as Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Zimmerman, and Dieste. After entering the in-game advertising segment, the company will likely cast its eyes on B2B, multicultural, and Web3 spaces.
