Age-dependent effects of food advergame brand integration and interactivity

Food marketing is under increased scrutiny for its implicated role in the childhood obesity epidemic. Free branded online advergames are ubiquitous. Using a customised online game, this study examined how food advergames exert their influence on children. The findings of the experiment demonstrate the effects of brand integration and interactivity (playing versus watching) on children's brand recall, attitudes, taste expectations, purchase requests and health perceptions for brands placed in a game. The results offer evidence that younger children are responsive to advergames and warrant additional study in this domain.