The cleverest GTA VI adverts don't even show the game

With under two weeks to go until the release of Grand Theft Auto VI for PS5 and Xbox, Rockstar Games has been cranking up the marketing for what's already the most-anticipated video game of all time. The publisher has been rolling out prominent billboards, bus wraps and digital placements globally (including a hand-painted GTA VI mural that was controversially "ruined" in Brooklyn).

Most of the advertising blitz uses familiar key art showing the game's two playable protagonists: Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval. But some of the best GTA VI ads don't show the game at all. in Vice City itself (that is, Miami, Florida), Rockstar continues to have fun with its many fictional parody brands, and the ads show just what a huge cultural event GTA has become.

To the disappointment of all those real brands that are GTA VI trendjacking, Rockstar doesn't do product placement, and it's also quite selective when it comes to real-world collaborations. Instead, the game will feature hundreds of parody brands.

Some of these have crossed over into real world advertising, with billboards and digital displays cropping up in Miami for the likes of Crowex watches, Beige shapewear and Dix makeup. The game's takeover of the Miami Heat's Kaseya Center has even included outlets for the fictional fastfood chains Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell.

Many of the ads continue Rockstar's penchant for using innuendo as a sharp social satire on real advertising, cutting through to real messages that brands are often communicating albeit in more euphemistic terms. "Always come early," the watch brand Kronos declares. "Suddenly You Are Big Enough," proclaims jewellery brand Kowalski on an ad showing a diamond-heavy engagement ring.

It's been estimated that Rockstar's total global promotional costs could reach up to $200 million or even $300 million over the game's full launch cycle. I've seen some people wondering how much adverts for fictional brands like Dix and Juice Loose can contribute to the cause if it's not clear what they're promoting (there's a small logo and QR code in the bottom of some of them).

But this is what makes them so ingenious. They avoid traditional game marketing fatigue by showing the setting rather than the product. GTA is known for its satire of American consumer culture, and fictional companies, ridiculous slogans, and parody advertising are a core part of its identity. Putting these brands out there communicates the game's tone without showing a single mission or gameplay mechanic.

By blurring the line between marketing and world-building, the ads also create intrigue among newcomers. When people see an advert for a bizarre fictional product with no obvious explanation, it generates curiosity and conversation, which becomes the marketing.

But, ultimately, they also reward existing fans who recognise names like Ammu-Nation, Sprunk, eCola, or other in-universe brands. For long-timer players, these are inside jokes that make them feel like they're being invited back into a world they love.

An advert for a kids' cartoon called Macca & Friends reads "Coming November 19 on Weazel”. The real message is clear to anyone who knows Weazel as the in-universe media company since GTA IV. This kind of advertising doesn't just promote a product; it makes people feel like they're part of the phenomenon. They deepen immersion, keep people talking and cement the game's status as not just the most-anticipated video game of all time but perhaps the most hyped entertainment product in any category.

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