Chrysler & Tony Hawk team up to sway buyers

In one of the oddest stories of product placement and effective advertising, Activision has enlisted the help of Chrysler to research how best to target advertising in games to consumers. In the new game Tony Hawk's Underground 2 the Jeep brand is featured prominently. Activision will then form a panel of as many as 300 gamers in that coveted 18-34 year-old demographic to play the game and give feedback on how likely some of them would be to purchase a Jeep. It's a novel idea in a genre that now features advertising in almost every title. In previous studies players said not only would they be more likely to buy a product in a game but that the placement added realism to their gaming experience. I'm guessing Jeep wouldn't want "real" skaters grinding on 2005 Grand Cherokees though.