The Game Marketing Awards (GMA) announced finalists for the eighth annual program. The Outstanding Overall Marketing Campaign of the Year award is represented by Electronic Arts’ cover vote for Madden NFL 13, Microsoft’s Halo 4 campaign, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II efforts and Ubisoft different campaigns for Assassin’s Creed 3, Just Dance 4, and Far Cry 3.
“We are very pleased that so many amazing companies have chosen to participate in the 2013 Game Marketing Awards, the longest-running and most respected awards event recognizing the extraordinary work of video game marketers,” said Mary Dolaher, CEO of IDG World Expo, owner of the Game Marketing Summit. “On behalf of GMS and its Board of industry-leading marketing executives, we look forward to honoring the best of the best on April 17.”
Ubisoft has the most nominations at 25, while Activision has 20, Microsoft has 16 and Electronic Arts has 11. GMA winners will be announced at a ceremony immediately following the 2013 Game Marketing Summit taking place on April 17 in San Francisco.
Here are the 2013 Finalists:
OUTSTANDING TV OR THEATRICAL AD
Halo 4 Scanned – Microsoft Xbox
Assassin’s Creed 3 “The Letter” TV – Ubisoft Entertainment
Call of Duty: Black Ops II “Surprise” Launch Trailer – 72andSunny
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Reveal – Activision/The Ant Farm
Mass Effect 3- Fight – Electronic Arts
Assassin’s Creed 3 In-Cinema :60 – Ubisoft/The Ant Farm
FUNNIEST VIDEO ASSET
EA SPORTS Madden 13 “Madden Forever” – Interview – Heat
Kinect Star Wars Girl Vader – Microsoft Xbox
Just Dance 4 – Ubisoft
Kinect Star Wars Duel – Microsoft Xbox
FAR CRY 3 MONKEY BUSINESS PACK – TRAILER PARK
South Park: The Stick of Truth – Trailer #2 – THQ and Hammer Creative
OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL TRAILER
Far Cry 3 Launch Trailer – g-NET
Hitman Sniper Challenge Full Blood Trailer – Square Enix
Just Dance 4 E3 Announcement Trailer – Buster
Assassin’s Creed 3 “Launch Trailer” – Ubisoft Entertainment and The Ant Farm
PlanetSide 2 “Death is No Excuse” – Sony Online Entertainment & Blur
ZombiU CGI Trailer – Ubisoft
BEST GAME FOOTAGE TRAILER
Borderlands 2 “Wimoweh” Trailer – g-NET, 2k & Gearbox
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Reveal – Activision/The Ant Farm
Far Cry 3 Story Trailer – Ubisoft/The Ant Farm
Tomb Raider “Survivor” VGA Trailer – Ignition Creative
Sleeping Dogs Launch Trailer – Square Enix
Borderlands 2: An Introduction Trailer – 2K Games
BEST LONG FORMAT FEATURING PROMOTIONAL CONTENT
Halo 4 Launch Trailer – Microsoft Xbox
Dishonored – “Tales from Dunwall” – Psyop / Rokkan / Evolution Music Partners / DeFacto Sound / Bethesda Softworks
Far Cry 3 Launch Trailer – g-NET
Xbox Fable: The Journey – XBox/The Ant Farm
Assassin’s Creed III: Inside Assassin’s Creed III – Ubisoft
The Final Hours of Tomb Raider Video Series – g-NET & Crystal Dynamics
BEST LIVE ACTION PROMOTIONAL CONTENT
Angry Birds – “Launch TV:60” – Activision/The Ant Farm
Just Dance 4 – “Justin Bieber Surprise” – Ubisoft/The Ant Farm
Mass Effect 3- Fight – Electronic Arts
Black Ops II Reveal “Documentary” – 72andSunny
Medal of Honor Warfighter “Global Warfighters” Documentary – g-NET
Sleeping Dogs Live Action Trailer – Square Enix
OUTSTANDING OVERALL MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote Campaign – EA SPORTS, ESPN and Fleishman-Hillard
Just Dance 4 – Ubisoft
Halo 4 – Microsoft Xbox
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – 72andSunny
Assassin’s Creed 3 Campaign – Ubisoft Entertainment
Far Cry 3 Campaign – Ubisoft Entertainment
OUTSTANDING OVERALL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – CORE GAMES
Far Cry 3 Campaign – Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed 3 Marketing Campaign – Ubisoft Entertainment
007 Legends – Buddha Jones
Mass Effect 3 – Take Earth Back – Electronic Arts
EA SPORTS Madden 13 “Madden Forever” – Heat
Halo 4 – Microsoft Xbox
OUTSTANDING OVERALL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – FAMILY GAMES
Nike + Kinect Training – Microsoft Xbox
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two – Disney Interactive/The Ant Farm
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Marketing Campaign – WB Games
SCRABBLE – EA – ELECTRONIC ARTS
Dance Central 3 – Microsoft Xbox
Just Dance 4 – Ubisoft
STANDOUT PRINT ADVERTISEMENT
Sleeping Dogs Print Ads – Square Enix
Guild Wars 2 “Our Time Is Now” – Ayzenberg Group & ArenaNet
Darksiders II – THQ & PETROL
God of War: Ascension – Sony Computer Entertainment America & PETROL
Assassin’s Creed 3 “Into Battle” – Ubisoft Entertainment
Dishonored – Print Ads – Rokkan / Meduzarts / Bethesda Softworks
STANDOUT OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 – Namco Bandai Games & PETROL
NBA 2K13 – OOH Campaign with Time Square “Triple Stack” Takeover – 2K Sports
Borderlands 2 Wallscapes – 2K Games
Assassin’s Creed 3 Outdoor Campaign – Ubisoft Entertainment
Halo 4 E3 OOH – Microsoft Xbox
Dishonored – Outdoor Ads – Fearless Media / Rokkan / Meduzarts / Bethesda Softworks
STANDOUT OVERALL POP DISPLAY
Halo 4 Countdown Counter Unit – Origin LLC
Skylanders Giants Toys ‘R’ Us Feature Shop – Activision and Midnight Oil Creative
Dead Island: Riptide Best Buy Display – Square Enix / Deep Silver
Halo 4 GameStop End cap – Origin LLC
Sleeping Dogs Standee – Square Enix and Midnight Oil Creative
Halo 4 – In line Countdown Unit – Origin LLC
BEST LIMITED EDITION, SPECIAL EDITION OR COLLECTOR’S EDITION
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Care Package – Activision & PETROL
Xbox 360 Kinect Star Wars Limited Edition Bundle – LucasArts
Diablo III Collector’s Edition – Blizzard Entertainment
Assassin’s Creed 3 Limited Edition – Ubisoft Entertainment
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Hardened Edition – Activision & PETROL
Soul Calibur V – Off Base Productions
BEST SHOWING AT A TRADE EVENT
Dishonored – E3 2012 – PurePartner / Sparks / Bethesda Softworks
Activision Skylanders, Toy Fair 2012 – Ignited/Activision
PAX East 2012: Ubisoft Booth Activation – Ubisoft
Halo 4 intro experience at E3 briefing – Microsoft Xbox
Activision E3 2012 – Ignited/Activision/The Ant Farm
Injustice: Gods Among Us – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment & PETROL
BEST RETAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Assassin’s Creed 3 – Ubisoft and Midnight Oil Creative
Tomb Raider – Square Enix and Midnight Oil Creative
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Retail Marketing Campaign – Activision and Midnight Oil Creative
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale – Sony Computer Entertainment America & PETROL
Skylanders Giants – Activision and Midnight Oil Creative
Hitman: Absolution – Square Enix and Midnight Oil Creative
BEST TRADE COLLATERAL
Raiden’s Arm – Ignited/Konami
Family Guy Manager Mailer – Activision and Midnight Oil Creative
PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale Guide – Off Base Productions
Contre Jour Pop-Up Press Kit – Ayzenberg Group & Microsoft Xbox
Assassin’s Creed 3 Alex Ross Steelbook – Ubisoft Entertainment
Far Cry 3 Destination PlayStation Presentation Video – Ubisoft
BEST WEBSITE FOR A PRODUCT
Assassin’s Creed III: Portal – Ubisoft
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron – Soap Creative & Activision
Sleeping Dogs – Future US / More Yellow
Dishonored.com Brand Site – Rokkan / Bethesda Softworks
PlanetSide2.com – Sony Online Entertainment
The Amazing Spider-Man – Soap Creative & Activision
BEST DIGITAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
PlanetSide 2: “WTF Advertising Campaign” – Sony Online Entertainment & Ayzenberg Group
Dishonored – Online Advertising – Rokkan / Fearless Media / Bethesda Softworks
God of War: Ascension – Sony Computer Entertainment America & PETROL
Prototype 2 – Soap Creative & Activision
Guild Wars 2 “We Are the Brave ” – Ayzenberg Group & ArenaNet
Assassin’s Creed III: Online Banners – Ubisoft
BEST USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA OR USE OF DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
NBA 2K13 Cover Athlete Reveal App – 2K Sports
Black Ops II – SapientNitro
DigiMan Digital Publishing Platform – Off Base Production
Halo 4 – AKQA
Action Movie FX App – 72andSunny
Hip Hop Dance Experience NFL Program – Ubisoft
BEST USE OF MUSIC IN A PROMOTIONAL PIECE
Lindsey Stirling for Just Dance 4 – Ubisoft
Borderlands 2 “Wimoweh” Trailer – g-NET, 2k & Gearbox
ZombiU – Ubisoft
Amazing Spiderman – “GDC Trailer” – Activision/The Ant Farm
Dishonored – “Drunken Whaler” – COPILOT / Rokkan / Bethesda Softworks
Just Dance 4 – Gangnam Style Trailer – Ubisoft
BEST USE OF SOUND DESIGN
Dishonored – Tales from Dunwall – Defacto Sound & Bethesda Softworks
Call of Duty: China Reveal – Activision/The Ant Farm
Dishonored – “Tales from Dunwall” – Chapter 1 – Defacto Sound / Evolution Music Partners / Rokkan / Bethesda Softworks
Dead Space 3 “Turn it Off” Trailer – g-NET
Aliens Colonial Marines – Trailer 2 – Gearbox/The Ant Farm
Dishonored – Defacto Sound & Bethesda Softworks
BEST COPYWRITING FOR A VIDEO ASSET
Assassin’s Creed 3 In-Cinema :60 – Ubisoft/The Ant Farm
Far Cry 3 Story Trailer – Ubisoft/The Ant Farm
The Expendables 2 “Body Count” Trailer – g-NET
Assassin’s Creed 3 “The Letter” – Ubisoft Entertainment
Far Cry 3 Launch Trailer – g-NET
SimCity Disasters Trailer – Eyestorm Productions
BEST PRODUCT LOGO DESIGN
Star Wars 1313 – LucasArts and Hamagami/Carroll Inc.
Skylanders Giants – Activision and Hamagami/Carroll Inc.
WORLD OF MERCENARIES LOGO – THE ANT FARM
Injustice: Gods Among Us – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment & PETROL
Halo 4 – Microsoft Xbox
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Activision & PETROL
BEST KEY ART
Assassin’s Creed 3 Limited Edition Box – Ubisoft Entertainment
Hitman Absolution 47 Initiative – Square Enix
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Ignited/Konami
Sleeping Dogs Key Art – Square Enix
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – DLC #1 – Activision & PETROL
God of War: Ascension – Sony Computer Entertainment America & PETROL
BEST PROMOTIONAL PARTNERSHIP
Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote Campaign – EA SPORTS, ESPN and Fleishman-Hillard
Halo 4 Mountain Dew Partnership – Microsoft Xbox
Assassin’s Creed 3 “Rock The Vote” Video – Ubisoft Entertainment
Dishonored – SyFy/Face Off Integration – Fearless Media / Bethesda Softworks
Just Dance 4 – Cheetos Partnership – Ubisoft
EA SPORTS and ESPN – Partnership – Electronic Arts, ESPN
BEST PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
Deadpool Announcement – Ignited/Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Reveal – Activision/The Ant Farm
Assassin’s Creed III: Global Announce – Ubisoft
God of War: Ascension – Sony Computer Entertainment America & PETROL
Resident Evil 6 Announcement Strategy – Capcom and Tangible Media
MOST EFFECTIVE BUZZ GENERATING TACTIC
Assassin’s Creed III: YouTube Influencer Campaign – Ubisoft
Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote Campaign – EA SPORTS, ESPN and Fleishman-Hillard
Halo 4 – AKQA
Deadpool does Comic-Con – Ignited/Activision
Just Dance Your Way to Justin Bieber – Ubisoft
Halo 4 Glyph – Microsoft Xbox
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
Hip Hop Dance Experience NFL Program – Ubisoft
Deadpool Announcement – Ignited/Activision
Just Dance 4 – “Justin Bieber Surprise” – Ubisoft/The Ant Farm
Halo 4 Glyph – Microsoft Xbox
EA Sports Bar at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – EA Sports
Action Movie FX App – 72andSunny
Source: IDG Game Marketing Awards
