Expect way more The Sims Social ads where Dove Soap came from

Like, way more. Playfish parent company EA and consumer products company Unilever recently announced a huge deal that will bring lots of in-game advertising to The Sims Social, its number one Facebook game. Unilever is responsible for big time brands, including Hellman's, Axe, Lipton, Slim-Fast and yes, even Dove.

While the two companies only just recently announced their year-long partnership, according to All Things D, it actually started at the beginning of 2012 with the Dove Hair Spa. In that event, players could visit the Dove Facebook page and score a free Dove item for their Sims--this is just the beginning. Unilever and EA plan to bring brands like Magnum Mini ice cream bars and Heartbrand ice cream to The Sims Social in a spring and summer ad campaign.

EA even laid out exactly how it goes about advertising in its games through everything from video ads to branded in-game quests--ahem, Toyota. Of course, advertising in Facebook games is noting new: Zynga has been at it for years in games like FarmVille. But a deal this huge and far-reaching certainly says something about where social games are headed.

"Everyone knows the audience is there, and that they are spending a lot of time in the games, but from a media standpoint, it's still been fairly new," EA SVP of global media solutions Dave Madden said during the announcement. "For a global company like Unilever to want to partner with EA and launch a campaign globally, it's an indication that gaming is finding a stage."

Are you a fan of ad content in The Sims Social, or are you against it? What effects does it have on gameplay? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.