Fancy using Sonic the Hedgehog in your next ad campaign?

“Video games are the new cinema.” A common statement, especially in certain corners of the internet, and one that I don't necessarily disagree with. Irregardless of your stance on the gaming industry however, it cannot be denied that the pastime has produced some of the most iconic characters in pop culture. From Lara Croft and Super Mario to Crash Bandicoot and Master Chief, there are countless examples of video game characters transcending their roots to become legitimate cultural touchstones. Many of them even have their own movies. It was only a matter of time then, before ad land got in on the action, and thanks to a new company called GameBridge, we could be seeing some of our favourite gaming icons in a variety of campaigns in the near future.

GameBridge is a company co-founded by music sales and licensing veterans Andy Uterano and Billy Bell

The aptly named GameBridge is a company co-founded by music sales and licensing veterans Andy Uterano and Billy Bell that licenses characters from popular games for use in advertising content and ad campaigns. Based in New York, the unique company's licensing relationships already include the world renowned game publishers Sega and Capcom and there are many more exciting publisher agreements in the wings. Uterano and Bell have experience licensing music for video games, and both are executives at SEMW, the industry leader in licensing and distribution for video game soundtracks. Utilising this experience, the duo has also managed to secure a partnership with Sumthing Else to provide music licensing services to its clients.

With the Capcom and Sega roster already on the books, GameBridge has access to (amongst others) Street Fighter characters such as Ryu and Chun-Li (she of the cataclysmic thunder thighs fame) and numerous characters from the Resident Evil franchise. Perhaps the most notable gain however is the characters from “Sonic the Hedgehog,” including Sonic himself, his sidekick “Tails,” and all the characters from the current “Sonic Boom” TV show. The blue blur is also going to be hitting the big-screen in the near future, so even whilst his games are dwindling in sales, his star is ever rising, and has been doing so since he debuted back in the early 90's.

The company licenses characters from popular games for use in advertising content and ad campaigns

Uterano said “Video games have become a part of popular culture, and their pervasiveness presents unique opportunities to the owners of these intellectual properties.” His goal in founding GameBridge was to “Leverage these opportunities and pair licensed characters with familiar consumer brands.” The company will act as an agent for its licensing partners, Uterano explains, negotiating deals between advertisers, their agencies and the IP holders of the respective video game characters. Bell adds that they are also set up “To make it much easier and more efficient for both advertisers and game publishers to connect their respective characters and brands.” He feels that the company's experience and knowledge will enable them to “Forge agreements that will simultaneously maintain the integrity of a game’s image with its all-important fan base while ensuring a high level of ROI for participating advertisers.” Rene Flores, director of licensing for Sega of America, added that the classic games publisher is looking forward to uniting some of its “Most-loved characters with America’s best-loved brands,” and believes their characters are “Well-suited to serve as brand ambassadors.”

Alongside Uterano and Bell, the GameBridge management team also includes creative director Glenn H. Mason and strategic media partner Steven Horton. Mason is a seasoned creative professional who’ll be responsible for developing and executing GameBridge’s creative strategy, while Horton, the founder of the production company Grand Large, brings a wealth of marketing, advertising and video production capabilities to the table. Horton's involvement also means that Grand Large will function as the production arm of GameBridge on a non-exclusive basis, providing its advertiser clients and publisher licensees with access to a full range of high-quality film and video production and post production resources. Beyond its own roster of creative talents, it works closely with MacGuff, a leading European animation and effects studio, and with Prologue Films, a major producer of broadcast design and identity packages, opening title sequences, gaming characters and visual effects. Both studios will partner with GameBridge clients on game-driven ad content.

GameBridge already has access to Street Fighter characters such as Ryu and Chun-Li, numerous characters from the Resident Evil franchise and Sonic the Hedgehog

The real question that remains, of course, is how exactly these characters will be used. It would surely seem a little unnecessary to just shoehorn Sonic the Hedgehog into an ad campaign for shits and giggles, and there's always the chance that franchise fans will revolt and protest their heroes being used in such a way. With the dynamic sheer processing power behind today's electronic entertainment though, fully formed characters with all the same emotional resonances we associate with “Real” actors are possible. In this regard, is the idea of using today's favourite game heroes as brand ambassadors that far removed from celebrity endorsement? I for one know I'd rather see Mario and Luigi selling me pasta sauce than Jedward flogging me a smartphone. What are your thoughts? Sound off below!

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.