EA and Toyota inked a 12-month agreement to feature the Prius in Monopoly Millionaires, a free-to-play social version of the Hasbro board game. The Prius is a mover in the game, but players can also buy an Eco-Greenhouse (replete with windmills and a Prius in the driveway.) Players can also gift the Eco-Greenhouse to others in the game.
EA released Monopoly Millionaires in February. In the past month, the game has more than doubled its user base to 6.2 million.
For Toyota, the effort is the latest in a series of social media campaigns this year, starting with the “Plural of Prius” effort in early January and another real-time world records-setting event at the end of last month.
For such advertisers trying to cultivate a social media following, inclusion in a game is a popular option. According to developer Appssavvy, it’s also an effective one. An analysis by that company -- admittedly not a disinterested observer on the subject -- recently found that such in-app ads are 11.4 times more effective than a standard banner ad.