Proposing In-Game Brand Touchpoints to a Gen Z That Is Turning Away from Ads — Ad-Virtua to Exhibit at Marketing Week Summer 2026

2026/06/23

Press Release

Ad-Virtua Inc. (Kita-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Seitaro Mizuno) will exhibit at the Startup Booth of Marketing Week Summer, held from Wednesday, June 24 to Friday, June 26, 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight.

Under the theme of "ad exposure that isn't disliked" through game spaces, we will present a new approach to brand touchpoints for younger and family audiences who are increasingly turning away from advertising.

Background to Our Exhibition

Skipping and avoiding advertising has become the norm, and reaching audiences — Gen Z in particular — is increasingly difficult. Games, meanwhile, continue to grow as a medium people engage with every day, drawing attention as a new touchpoint that brands can enter naturally.

Ad-Virtua works on the question, "In an era when advertising is disliked, how can a brand still reach people naturally?" and proposes approaches that make use of game spaces. At this exhibition we will focus on the following:

Why games function as advertising (behavioral data and real examples of attitude change)
How to design "natural exposure" that younger audiences accept
Success stories of game-driven marketing linked with social media, PR, and OOH

Exhibition Overview

Event: Marketing Week Summer

Dates: Wednesday, June 24 – Friday, June 26, 2026, 10:00–17:00

Venue: Tokyo Big Sight

Booth: Startup Booth (Booth No. MS18)

Admission: Free (advance registration required)

What we will present:

Case studies of brand touchpoints built with game spaces
Data on ad-avoidance behavior and game usage among younger audiences
An explanation of game-driven marketing linked with social media, PR, and OOH
Mini consultation sessions for companies

▶ Register to attend (free):https://www.marketing-week.jp/summer/ja-jp/register.html?code=***

Four Discoveries Waiting for Visitors

1. Why "advertising that doesn't look like advertising" reaches younger audiences

Using behavioral data on Gen Z, we explain the mechanism by which game spaces function as brand touchpoints.

We show why games are accepted by a generation for which ad avoidance is the default.

2. Games are a medium that can deliver a brand without breaking the world of the content

Unlike TV commercials or social ads, games let a brand be placed in a natural context, so aversion is less likely to arise.

We introduce the key points of designing placements that do not disrupt the brand experience.

3. A new path where games drive social media, search, and PR

We present cases in which in-game exposure led to social posts and search behavior.

We show "game-originated marketing paths" that contribute to brand recall and attitude change.

4. Consult on how to apply this to your own marketing challenges

At the Startup Booth we will hold mini sessions where you can discuss the potential of using games on the spot.

We answer the question "Could our company actually use this?" with concrete proposals.

Comment from the Organizer

Seitaro Mizuno, Representative Director, Ad-Virtua Inc.

"In an era when advertising struggles to reach people, games hold great potential as a new brand touchpoint. At this exhibition we want to untangle the parts of game utilization that are often misunderstood, and explain concretely how it can be applied to corporate marketing activities."