Advertising Reaches the Virtual World

First there were the SIMS, then neo-pets and a host of other virtual world games aimed at children and teens. Then came Second Life – a virtual online world that attracts residents of all ages. “Residents” buy and sell real estate, go to school, raise families and pets and attend live concerts. In fact, just about everything you can do in real life, you can do in your Second Life.

This morning I read an article on Media in Canada about a Toronto band that’s planning to simulcast a live real-world show on November 25th with a virtual ‘in-world” show on Second Life. They’ll be the first band to perform live in front of their virtual fans at the same time as their real ones.

Second Life’s 1 million plus residents have also attracted the attention of major advertisers who are flocking to the site – there’s a Reuter’s news bureau, an American Apparel online store, an ad agency to help brands maximize their Second Life media spend – and of course plenty of advertising for real world products.

Personally, I don’t know how people find the time. Between running a business, keeping up my 50% of a marriage, raising a family, a dog, 2 cats, 1 hamster and an un-named quantity of fish, managing an industry association and trying to stay connected with all the real-live human beings I know and care about, who has time to hold down a fantasy job? Let alone do fantasy laundry (ugh!!) or be bombarded with advertising messages from the real world. I kinda wonder about the implications of an entire generation building fantasy lives in cyberspace to escape reality, then blurring the lines between the real world and the fantasy world.

Maybe I’m just lucky – I’ve created a real life I love, warts and all. But maybe someday when I have a spare moment or thirty I’ll take the time to create a fantasy me with a fantasy life – perhaps a tall, lithe blond rock star (real me can’t sing a note). Perhaps she’ll use her millions to open the first virtual Betty Ford Interent Addiction Recovery Centre.