"MTV's 4-month-old virtual world has been testing advertiser integrations with Cingular, Pepsi and Procter & Gamble's Secret. So far, according to MTV, 350,000 registered users are spending an average of 36 minutes on each visit."
Cingular used Virtual Laguna Beach to promote the fact it's all about communication, creating a virtual rep that acted as a party promoter, dishing out info on in-world social events. By interacting with him, users got bonus rewards such as VoIP access, skins for the instant-messaging player and animations of cellphones. Pepsi published an in-world 'zine that offers new areas of the world. By increasing their in-world skills, users can rack up MTV dollars for in-world purchases or Pepsi-branded items. Secret extended its "Tell us your secret" campaign with virtual booths where avatars could air their secrets for a chance to win a virtual cash prize."
-- AdAge
