Advertising in Virtual Worlds: The Example of Second Life

As consumers become decreasingly responsive towards traditional forms of advertising, advertisers are turning towards more innovative methods. Virtual worlds provide an extraordinary potential for new and enhanced modes of advertising. This study examines the opportunities of the virtual world, Second Life, as a new platform for businesses’ advertisement and promotional activities. First, we briefly introduce the concept of virtual worlds and virtual advertising. Then, we go on to explain the development of advertising, with special emphasis on its evolution alongside technological developments. Furthermore, we discuss how virtual worlds developed and how the features of these worlds lent themselves to advertising. Second Life, the most popular virtual world application, is given a special emphasis, and we shall explore opportunities and practices for virtual advertising in this virtual world application.