Game Developer Nordcurrent's Coca-Cola Partnership Shows Potential of Mobile In-Game Branding

VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordcurrent, a Lithuania based international publisher and developer of free-to-play and casual games for smartphones and tablets, recently integrated Coca-Cola brand into their hit game Cooking Fever. In past years, the studio worked with unique content developed with FC Barcelona and the TV show Hell's Kitchen. Now they have launched a deeper integration with one of the world's most iconic brands.

CEO Victoria Trofimova explained, "This partnership explores the possibilities of product placement in mobile games with large audiences like ours. We are in the process of discovering potential benefits for both the brand and developer. Traditionally game players did not favor in-game branding, but thanks to the free-to-play nature of mobile games, we believe this is changing."

Cooking Fever is a free-to-play game that allows players to create over 400 dishes using 150 ingredients all within a fast-paced and fun video game setting. The game has over 800 levels to complete and features hundreds of upgrades to both kitchen appliances as well as kitchen interiors. As a result of the partnership, Cooking Fever players now have access to digital versions of Coca-Cola products. The game offers specially designed branded fountain machines, glasses and bottles. Coca-Cola items are upgraded throughout the game.

Currently, Cooking Fever has been downloaded almost 200 million times. The game is currently adding between 2 to 3 million new players each month.

Trofimova noted, "Can mobile games become the new channels for brand integrations? We think so. The results from the first couple of months of this partnership are very promising; our players already saw the Coca-Cola brand several billion times. Most importantly, the brand is shown to new players from the very beginning of the game."

Such brand partnerships can be beneficial for both product and developer. For the brand, it's the ability to quickly reach millions of players around the world in their loved medium and truly capture the global targeted audience. Players are highly engaged and can become positive brand advocates. Further, the products are shown to real players and the views can be easily tracked, thus avoiding potential fraud. Developers benefit because a known product attached to a game can attract new loyal users to the game through social networks and other communication activities, and branding can be used as a potential revenue source.

About Nordcurrent

Established in 2002, Nordcurrent is an international publisher and developer of free-to-play and casual games for smartphones, tablets and PC/Mac. Nordcurrent is best known for a hit game Cooking Fever, which is available on all mobile platforms and PC, and has been downloaded by almost 200 million users. Other Nordcurrent games include Sniper Arena, 101-in-1 Games series and the Happy Chef series. Nordcurrent employs more than 170 people, is headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania and has additional development studios in Warsaw, Poland and Odessa, Ukraine. To learn more about Cooking Fever and Nordcurrent, visit http://www.nordcurrent.com/.

SOURCE Nordcurrent