Contrary to what some old fashioned types might believe, video games are neither just for kids, nor a minor thing. On the contrary they're enjoyed by young and old, with the result being a vastly popular industry worth billions of dollars. These days, the biggest titles are more like Hollywood blockbusters, with massive budgets of millions of dollars, huge efforts at marketing, and with expected grosses of hundreds of millions.  So you might see some interesting promotional products for video games. Such as this crystal bust, or these branded beers. This latest effort by Audi and Square Enix might blow them all previous promotions out of the water though.

Audi Square Enix Car

A fantastic marketing tool

Developed by Square Enix, Final Fantasy is a series of video games that's been around since the 1980's. It has millions of fans worldwide as well as dozens of titles, spin offs, and associated media productions. It's kind of a big deal and once upon a time, the name was synonymous with quality. The past few years haven't been good to the brand, with a decline in popularity as well as decreased critical and commercial success. Final Fantasy XV has been over a decade in the making, is hotly anticipated, and is hoped to be a return to greatness for the series. As such, Square Enix has put an incredible amount of effort into promoting the title, with an animated series, a CGI motion picture release, and in a partnership with Audi, an actual car.

Final Fantasy Audi Car

That's right, a custom branded Final Fantasy themed car. And not just an average run of a mill car either, but an Audi R8 Supercar in all its finery. With intricately detailed panels, intakes, and wheels, this custom branded supercar might be one of the most elaborate and expensive promotional products I've ever seen. The car itself will feature in the CGI film being released to promote the game, and it raises interesting questions about how much product placement and cross promotions we can expect to see in the future for video games.

 

Originally seen on: http://www.acquiremag.com/cars/final-fantasy-audi-r8