If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know I love me some Xbox 360. Which means I also love the internet community built around the 360, called Xbox Live. Having just undergone a major update, there is a ton of potential for brands to get their name out. If you’d like to work on any of these projects, let me know!

1) Free gamerpics and themes.
Nothing new here, but it still can be smart and easy. That being said, I don’t think it will be truly effective/adopted unless your brand is what Alan Wolk calls “A Prom King Brand“. For example, McDonalds just did this with their McCafe lattes. I don’t get that at all. What self-respecting gamer is going to have their picture set as a McDonalds latte? Past examples such as the TV show Entourage or the Addidas Anniversary Editions make a much more compelling case.

2) Sponsored avatar clothing.
No one has done this yet, and I’m not sure Microsoft is even open to it, but I think it’s a slam dunk. I want to see Ralph Lauren step up and offer Polo branded shirts. Where are the Converse All-Stars, the Nike warm-ups, the Levi’s 501s? And all that doesn’t even touch sports teams. It seems like this is a segment with some potential, and if I was an apparel manufacture, you can be I’d be on the phone with Microsoft.

3) Free sponsored version of arcade downloads.
This is my favorite idea here, and the one with an absolute ton of potential. What I’m suggesting here is that a company take an already popular (or semi-popular) version of an arcade title and offer it free for a few days. This free version would have all the functionality and features of the regular title, but be branded. It could even have a small interstitial in the beginning to play the latest 30-second spot from the brand (which could be updated continually over the internet connection). This way, every time you fire up your favorite, free, new arcade title, you’re reminded who to thank. Could be great.

4) Advergames.
This is a sketchy option. Not because gamers don’t like free stuff, but because these games usually really suck. Look at that game that Doritos just gave away, or the Yaris game. Ouch. Now there’s two routes these kind of games can take. One is they can be something remotely related to your actual product (like the Yaris game). While this seems like it makes the most sense, you have to remember that most products don’t lend themselves to a fun game experience. The second option is to just make a fun little game, and brand the hell out of it. Think Peggle but with “YOUR BRAND HERE”.

5) Giveaways.
Netflix is already rocking out pretty hard with the giveaway option. They’re offering a chance for a home entertainment system with your Netflix activation (which is awesome, trust me). I feel like a lot of companies could go this way, gives you a lot of publicity with little cost.

So what do you think? What did I miss?