Maybe I don't get out enough, but I've noticed a new -- new to me, at any rate -- trend of companies advertising with Flash and other online games.
The corporate tie-in with video games is of course nothing new; from games piggybacking on popular movies (Lord of the Rings, Spiderman) or product placement or signage in sports and racing games (Electronic Arts refuses to say how much money it makes this way, take that as you will).
It works the other way too, with gaming companies paying licence fees for trademarked names and endorsement.
Now these. I think it could prove quite effective for both parties: low cost advertising and increasingly-professional games.
So, from the soon-to-be-released movie Dawn of the Dead, a zombie shooter.
And a Pacman-style game where the power dots are Lipton's Cup of Soup.