Although sponsored online games are nothing new, the Miniclip.com model is unusual in that it attracts a huge number of users who return to the site to play the stream of new games constantly being added to its library of 600 games.
The site features short, simple but addictive games that are mainly provided for free, rather than highly complex and graphics-rich games designed for hard-core gamers.
The majority of site's 43m unique monthly users are aged 10-18, although it attracts players of all age groups, including bored office workers at lunchtime.
Miniclip.com says marketers are attracted to advergames because they achieve tens of millions of game-plays and provide a fun and memorable way for youngsters to interact with brands.
The London-based company, which was founded in 2001, was making a profit by 2002 and is forecasting a turnover of £25m this year, from advertising, subscription fees to some games, such as RuneScape and Club Penguin, and advergames.
Miniclip featured its first advergames in 2005 and runs one a month. It creates bespoke games for companies as well as launching games that have already been developed.
'Companies are always looking to reach new markets. Advergames give businesses the opportunity to explore the internet generation on an advertising platform that is in touch with its users,' said Alex Williams, vice-president of game development at Miniclip.com.
'Their popularity has increased as companies realised that fewer people were viewing ads on television or in print media and that those people were more likely to be found on the internet.'
Mead's game Five Star Classroom Pilot http://www.miniclip.com/games/classroom-pilot/en/ was released to coincide with the back-to-school period. Cadbury's Twisted City http://www.miniclip.com/games/twisted-city/en/ was created in June to promote the release of its Twisted bar.
Other brands that have run Miniclip advergames include Warner Bros, Disney, Coca-Cola, Gillette and Starburst.
Miniclip regularly features games that promote film releases. Its most successful advergame was for Disney's Chicken Little. http://www.miniclip.com/games/chicken-little/en/
The game ran for three weeks and was played 16m times; its trailer on the site was viewed 2.1m times.
One would not usually associate Miniclip's core users with brands such as BP and Gillette, but both have run successful advergame campaigns on the site. Gillette's Jet Ski fame http://www.miniclip.com/games/jet-ski/en/ was played 80m times and is one of Miniclip's most successful advergames.
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