Banking and insurance adverts show gamer demo growing up

Our ever vigilant tipsters on the lookout for GTA IV news let us know about the latest commercial for HSBC bank. The GTA inspired advertisement is the latest in HSBC's campaign touting their understanding of customers locally, even though they are global mega-bank. We doubt the commercial is showing footage from GTA IV, but it is worth noting that this is the latest in a string of advertisements speaking to the aging gamer demographic, notice how the dad is playing the game. However, unlike the ad for Coca-Cola, these commercials are for insurance and banking — that ain't kids stuff.

Although the Katamari Damacy Traveler's Insurance ad allegedly was not inspired by the video game, any gamer who saw the commercial immediately linked the two things together. Then again, the same could be said about the very similar AIDS-based commercial. Most automotive commercials in prime-time heavily use game-inspired marketing now, particularly Toyota's Scion division. As "adult" services begin to gear their marketing toward the new generation, who knows what video game inspired advertisements we'll see next. But so help us, if we see Ensure or AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) based ads we'll find a dark corner to cry in.

[Thanks Icates, no it's not GTA IV]