I stopped by The Wall Street Journal this morning and saw an article about EA Sports new strategy in bolstering its existing consumer base and attracting a potentially broader one .  The tactic involves ad campaigns that feature actual gaming fans as opposed to (paid) actors.  Ross Kenneth Urken writes:

At a time when the videogame industry is exploding, EA Sports is losing its share of the market. The company thinks it knows one reason: It has failed to reach as diverse an array of gamers as some of its competitors.

In an effort to address that gap, EA has scrapped actors in its new television-advertising campaign in favor of actual videogamers of both genders and varying ages. In one ad, a father discusses how he bonds with his young daughter by playing the Madden NFL football videogame — and jokes how he can’t let her win. In another, two brothers taunt each other through cascading images of a virtual gridiron while playing NCAA Football. In a third, a nerd runs his mouth about a “Hail Mary” pass that won him a game. He boasts: “Do you love this game? Do you love college football? Are you ready to be beaten by me on a regular basis?”

The ads, created by Wieden+Kennedy and shot by director Errol Morris in documentary style, aim to bury the notion of gaming as a solitary and passive activity. They also remind consumers that women are fast becoming a force in gaming. They make up 40% of the gaming population, with women over 18 playing at almost twice the rate of males under 17, according to the Entertainment Software Association, a trade group.…….

Walking the line between appealing to the masses and pleasing loyal players is a challenge for all gaming companies. As games get more realistic, they often get harder to play and more technical. That’s a thrill for gaming junkies, but it can be intimidating for casual players.

One way some companies-including EA-have tried to walk that line is by releasing “All Play” versions of some of their games that feature simplified controls. Nintendo has done particularly well with its Wii game system, which is designed to be easier to play.

Then, there are the new gamer-centered ads. Wieden+Kennedy found the gamers on Web sites like IGN.com and GameSpot.com, blogs like NCAAStrategies.com and postings on Craigslist.org. After receiving written responses and YouTube videos from gamers, the company chose 60 potential candidates for screen tests, from which Mr. Morris chose the final cut based on a gamer’s enthusiasm.

Click here to read the rest of the story and to watch a couple of these videos.

I think the motivation is significant and spot on (or right on, whichever “on” you prefer).  Just as fans of science-fiction and fantasy aren’t exclusively socially awkward males (and females), sports video game enthusiasts aren’t necessarily males across the board or even awesome gamers in terms of skill and manual dexterity.  The existing and potential audiences are more diverse than the gender line.  Socio-economic status, education level, and hobbies in general can be cross-traversed.  If this commercial campaign is a critical or popular success (as in the negative reviews don’t outweigh the positive ones), I wonder if EA would sponsor a fan-made (directed) ad contest.

These promo spots put a face, a voice, a body language, and wardrobe choice onto sports (video game) fans.  Now, if I wanted to assume or make educated guesses about the people in line at the grocery store, it wouldn’t be whether or not they look like they enjoy sports (actively, passively, voyeuristically).  Instead, I’d probably be left wondering if any of them are allergic to wheat or experience bloating no matter how little or how much they eat.