Americas
and Europe

The challenge when creating ads for a global market is avoiding content that requires too much context to work. Referring to specific Chinese internet jokes or cultural aspects won't connect with foreign audiences — for example, creating ads in which the main concept is praising in-game money (e.g. ...??), since some cultures consider it taboo to compare income and in poor taste to brag about monetary earnings.

Our Suggestion: Think of some basic human experiences and feelings, something that someone from any country, with any background, could relate to.

Good Example: Don't Touch That, Larry! uses the concept of someone causing mischief for not obeying orders. Anybody who has been around a toddler or a pet will understand, regardless of their culture.

Humor may be the most difficult concept to work across cultures. Even if a joke can be translated into another language, there is no guarantee it will land. Comedy is context-based, and people need to relate to its premise. If they don't, it won't be funny.

In addition, comedy is as much about content as it is about timing. Jokes and memes have expiration dates, and once the fad is over, using them will make you sound corny and out-of-touch. If a meme or joke is over a year old, it is already too old as far as internet culture is concerned.

Our Suggestion: Think of humor that is more universal and does not require a specific cultural background. Good examples are slapstick or physical humor, such as in Tom & Jerry or The Pink Panther, or parodies of iconic images. If you're not sure if something is universal, reach out to linguists! 

Good Example: Humankind's Lunar Landing adds a twist to an iconic image known all over the world. It is funny because it subverts the viewer's expectations in a way that also presents the core gameplay: Nations competing to leave a legacy.

Claiming to be "the best" or "the most" is an exhausted trope. Only 1 out of 3 people trust online ads, so the trend in the Americas and Europe has been to "sell the experience." Consider Coca-Cola: Since the 2000s, its taglines don't sell the taste or quality of the beverage, but something subjective, the feeling you get when you drink it: "Open Happiness" (joy), "Taste the Feeling" (excitement), "Real Magic" (amazement).

Our Suggestion: For gaming, it is less effective to praise the new technology the team has developed or how realistic the mechanics are. The technology is there to help the player to feel something, so try to praise the feelings the game can evoke. Fear? Adventure? Thrill of combat? Friendship? Competition? There is plenty to choose from.

Good Example: Even though the objective of PlayStation Move's Feels Like It Should is to present the technical features of the console, they ad clearly focus on how people are having fun and how engaged they are with the product.

A common trope in Chinese ads is to have an actor posing as a player, introducing a game, and giving logical arguments on why it is fun/challenging/engaging. An audience member in the Americas or Europe, though, is probably thinking: "Why should I believe this stranger that just popped up on my feed?" As mentioned above, people don't really trust advertising.

Our Suggestion: Ads are more effective when the audience arrives at the conclusion on its own. That's why showing and not telling — i.e. evoking the intended effect itself — is a powerful technique for advertising. Other media, like movies, TV, and literature, use it all the time.

Good Example: Halo 3's Believe tells an engaging and strong story with only music and images. Yet, it can express a lot: how the situation is dire, how the odds and against you, and how Master Chief is the last hope of survival.

For ads tailored for specific markets, don't be afraid to add some local color. Reach out to language experts if you want more information about certain regions.

Good Example: As part of a campaign, Activision listened to fans and added "Confisco", a song by the Brazilian band Charlie Brown Jr., to the game Tony Hawk 1+2. The campaign was also a posthumous homage to the lead singer of the band, who was a professional skater had passed away a few years before, and gained a lot of free mainstream media exposition.

Players in the Europe and Americas like a good challenge and want to come away from a game feeling excited. Thus, common Chinese marketing angles like "This game is so good, I lost my job from playing it too much" or "This game might be too hard for you" would not be very persuasive. 

In the first example, it equates playing the game with loss of job and addiction, which are negative outcomes and absolutely not fun. In the second example, it won't come off as a challenge to the players, but instead, will sound condescending and implying players are not smart enough to figure out the game.

Think of ways to empower players and emphasize the thrill of a good challenge and how rewarding the experience can be.

Good Example: In this trailer for Elden Ring, the game showcases the various difficulties the player may encounter, while also emphasizing the need to rise to the challenge. In this way, the benefit of playing the game is linked more with personal victory and reaching potential, making it much more persuasive. 

Ads are important opportunities to introduce potential players to your world, setting, and atmosphere. Tonal consistency is a must, from the ads to the overall marketing language. If the game is epic in tone, then it feels tonally off-putting for the ad to be cutesy or childish. Likewise, a game that is cutesy would not be represented well with an epic, grand ad. Take time to think of the mood or tone of the game and try to evoke or represent that in your ad.

Also, bear in mind that most ads are available to the wider public, so it's best not to use inappropriate language to avoid violating rating systems or obscenity laws (See Obscenity in Legal FAQ for more info).

Good Example: Consider the tonal difference between games involving combat with contrasting tones, gameplay, and target audiences. With Super Smash Bros, the classic ad conveys the silly and fun tone of the game, while the Gears of War ad conveys a bleak and gritty world. More recently, the marketing campaign for Diablo IV emphasized the dark and intense world with its soundtrack and visuals, setting up proper expectations for players.