Fuel Industries recognized by Billboard Magazine for advances in branded entertainment

Projects for HBO, Fox and BSSP/Sprite illustrate the future of online content

Los Angeles, December 04, 2006 - After sweeping all three nominations for Billboard Magazine’s DEMMX Advergame of the Year, the partners at Fuel Industries naturally expected to win at least one award. That expectation was shattered when the company was awarded a triple-gold award for all three very different projects.

Among the winning entertainment productions were Dead Man’s Hand – a 3D poker world with a twist ending to promote HBO’s hit series Deadwood, American Dad vs. Family Guy Kung Fu – an Animated Street Fighter mashup created for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to promote the DVD sales of hit programs American Dad and The Family Guy, and Sprite Dunkface – a campaign created for agency BSSP that allowed players to upload a picture of their own “dunk face” and superimpose it on a character in an NBA slam dunk video, which could then be sent to friends.

“In the past year, we have focused on moving beyond the typical restraints of the Web,” said Mike Burns, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Fuel Industries. “We’re now in a position where we provide console-quality 3D as well as interactive video and traditional animation seamlessly within a browser. The future of online advertising isn’t banners and microsites – it’s entertainment.”

This is not the first time that Fuel Industries has been honoured with a nomination shutout at an industry awards show. Earlier in the month, the company took gold, silver and bronze in the viral category at the Canadian Digital Marketing Awards in Toronto.

Burns says that the honour is especially meaningful considering their positioning both geographically and within the market.

“We’re an unusual agency in an unusual location,” says Burns. “For us to stay in the conversation, we have to push the creative and strategic boundaries. We’re not in this for the awards, but when we’re honoured like this, it says to me that the industry is starting to understand the kind of value we bring to the table, which wasn’t always the case.”

The 85-person agency has more than double in size in the past year, and expects to grow by another 50% in the Spring, following its move to a 20,000 square foot , state of the art facility in the west end of Ottawa in January.

About Fuel Industries

Fuel Industries is one of the most technologically advanced creators of online branded entertainment and one of the most respected advergame developers in North America, blending the capabilities of a game developer, advertising agency, animation house and SFX studio to deliver next-generation online branded entertainment. With a range of clients including FOX, HBO, FedEx, Wrigley and Daimler Chrysler, Fuel creates everything from branded arcade-style games and online worlds to digital toys and interactive video experiences.