10 Insane Video Game Marketing Campaigns That Actually Happened
4. Shadow Man 2 - Ads Were Plastered On Tombstones
When the first Shadow Man was released, it got pretty good reviews, respectable sales, and was considered a decent success, but there was so much potential for more. For Shadow Man 2, the marketing team decided to do something drastic whilst using the game's unique blend of the supernatural and undead for maximum effect.
Acclaim Entertainment thought it would be a brilliant idea to put small billboard advertisements on tombstones, reaching out to families of the recently deceased and offering to pay them to put a video game ad on their loved one's gravestone.
Never mind how stupid or inappropriate the idea was, Acclaim's response to the controversy was that the grisly idea was a groundbreaking one because it accurately represented the dark and gory nature of Shadow Man 2. Just to top things off, Acclaim also said that this campaign might 'particularly interest poorer families'.
With reasons ranging from the campaign being disrespectful, stupid, and that the company just didn't pay enough, it's probably no surprise that no one volunteered. And because karma never forgets, the game's sales were dead in the water and what life the series had was snuffed out.