Best Ad Campaign of 2009: Plants vs. Zombies

Join independent journalists and industry decision-makers at GamesBeat NEXT, returning to San Francisco November 2–3. The event brings together 500 executives, founders, investors and tech leaders shaping the $200 billion interactive economy for candid discussions on gaming, entertainment, technology and AI, plus executive networking and opportunities to build partnerships and close major deals.

PopCap sewed up this award with the first trailer for Plants vs. Zombies, which took the form of a music video. With the catchy refrain of “We don’t want zombies on our lawn,” the video charmed viewers while simultaneously informing them of the game’s basic premise: kill zombies trying to enter your house.

Not content to leave it at that, PopCap then won the hearts of web users everywhere with a zombie send-up of the crass banner ads for Evony. Responding to the increasingly desperate campaign that put underdressed women ahead of the actual product, PopCap’s “sexy” zombie drew immediate and universal praise. Video game advertising has never been above sniping at the competition, but PopCap managed to mock without appearing spiteful.

Evony Parody