As the final weeks of presidential campaigning draw to a close and candidates prepare for their final debate today, there is news of the ultimate subliminal offering from Barack Obama.
Not content with Facebook, YouTube, radio and TV, adverts backing Obama for president have now been embedded in video games.
This makes him the first presidential candidate to buy up computer game space (for an undisclosed amount), which has been done on 18 video games including the Xbox 360 game Burnout Paradise, as well as Guitar Hero and Madden 09.
The content reminds those preoccupied by the manoeuvring of virtual race tracks that early voting has started and people should register - a similar theme to Leonardo Di Caprio and friends' offering from last week.
The advertisements will run in 10 battleground states until November 3.
"These ads will help us expand the reach of VoteforChange.com so that more people can use this easy tool to find their early vote location and make sure their voice is heard," said Nick Shapiro, an Obama spokesman.
Video game advertising means Obama can reach an audience that is usually difficult to communicate with, said Holly Rockwood, a spokeswoman for Electronic Arts Inc, whose company features the Obama ads in nine of its games.
"In general, the Burnout audience is typically male, aged 18 to 34. I think the sweet spot age is 27 or 28. The attractive benefit any advertiser sees in advertising on a game like Burnout is reaching that demographic."
Or, as Ross Miller commented on Joystiq.com: "It looks like … Obama is seeking out the oft-overlooked 'virtual maniac driver' voting bloc."
Many of those playing the video games are not so positive about the development.
The GamePro sites discusses the pros and cons under the headline "Hey, you spilled politics on my escapism'', where one exasperated commenter, Bluer 57, wrote: "Games just get realer and realer."
