Components

• 400 Ad Slogan cards
• 60 Product cards
• $49,000,000 in AdVersity Cash
• 6 Voters
• 13 plastic SpokesCelebrity stands
• 6 Professional SpokesAnimals
• 6 Professional SpokesPeople
• ME, Max Madison, The Ultimate SpokesPerson!
• Rulebook

Object of the Game

Use your creative wits to earn AdVersity Cash and be the first ad agency to hire 1 SpokesAnimal, 1 SpokesPerson, and me, Max Madison, (and I'm not cheap).

Setup

Typically, we don't like to use that term in the advertising world, but it seems to work here.

To get ready to play AdVersity, you only need to do TWO things:

1. Give each player- now referred to as an "agency" (if you're serious about this advertising thing, you gotta start calling yourself an ad agency)-the following:

   • 1 Voter
   • 5 Ad Slogan cards
   • $100,000 AdVersity Cash

2. Choose one player to be the banker. The banker has an agency and plays the game like everyone else, but is also responsible for all the money.

Game Play

Round 1

1. Place the stack of Product cards, face down, in the center of the playing area and flip the top card over.

   Each Product card lists four different products that your agency can choose to sell.

   If there are products listed that you don't recognize or understand, you are definitely too young to play this game. Please leave the table now. Thank you.

2. Each agency then chooses one Ad Slogan from their hand to pair up with any one of the four products on the Product card and places the Ad Slogan card they selected FACE-DOWN in front of them.

   (Once you have done this, you may NOT change your Ad Slogan card at any time during the round).

   

   An agency makes money by getting other agencies to successfully guess which product they are selling with the slogan they choose, so you'll want to pick a slogan and product that make sense together… well, at least SOME sense.

   Every slogan used in this game is an ACTUAL ad slogan used in ACTUAL product advertising. (Underneath each slogan, the original product/advertiser is listed… just because it's interesting).

   Your agency's job is to use that slogan to advertise an entirely DIFFERENT product… and you're going to need to be creative to make some of them work.

3. The youngest agency (player) is the first Advertiser.

   Sorry, youth RULES in advertising, and it ain't no different here. But just like your youth, you'll get over it.

4. 

   The Advertiser turns the Ad Slogan card he chose face up, reads the slogan aloud, and places it by the Product card to form a discard pile.

   The Advertiser then secretly turns his Voter wheel to display the number of the product he is advertising, and places the Voter FACE-DOWN.

5. The other agencies each decide which of the four products the Advertiser is trying to sell them, turn their Voter wheels to the corresponding number, and place them face down in front of themselves.

   

   In advertising, there's an expression - "Know your audience". And that applies well in this game. You'll guess right a lot more often if you think like the people you're playing with.

   For example, two days ago your sister just had that hideous mole removed from her tongue, so she might subconsciously still be thinking of things like tongue depressors, lollipops, or wart remover.

6. When all the agencies have made their guesses, the Advertiser "presents" his slogan and product to the group.

   The Advertiser turns over his Voter Wheel revealing the number of the product he is advertising, and reads the product and slogan together in typical advertising fashion.

   For example, if the Advertiser has chosen "beer" as the product, and "The quicker picker upper" as his slogan, the ad would be presented by reading aloud, "Beer, the quicker picker upper".

   

   Technically, that is all your presentation requires... but we have found that you can avoid family fisticuffs, marital discord and other holiday season catastrophes if you "embellish" a little.

   Explain why you have just created the greatest ad the world has ever seen. why the slogan you chose works so well.

7. The other agencies reveal their guesses.

   Very often, there will be some truly bizarre guesses, and whether you like it or not, those agencies who guessed incorrectly are going to tell you why their guesses were better than yours.

   Please remember this is just a game, and when you are throwing food or drinks, to aim high.

8. The pay-off.

   • The Advertiser receives $100,000 for EACH agency that voted for the correct product.
   • Each agency that voted for the correct product receives $100,000 for being SO smart.

9. Each agency then takes their turn in the same fashion until all agencies have presented once, completing Round 1.

A Big Flop

If all the agencies vote unanimously for a product other than the one selected by the Advertiser, the Advertiser is penalized $200,000 for presenting a false, misleading ad.

After all, the integrity of the advertising industry MUST be maintained. (OK, even a professional like myself can't say that with a straight face).

Round-and-round

After each agency has taken their first turn as Advertiser, each is dealt one more Ad Slogan card to replace the one they used in their first presentation. The next Product card is turned face up, and Round 2 begins with the agency to the left of the agency that began as the Advertiser.

Subsequent rounds are played the same way, and the ad game goes on until one agency has made enough money to win the game. (see "Winning the Game")

Trading-in Ad Slogans

So you're just not finding that "perfect" Ad Slogan card to sell those products? NO PROBLEM! AdVersityTM is all about making you happy. (It's also been proven to make teeth 60% whiter, attract the opposite sex, and take grass stains out of pants).

Before each round starts, agencies are more than welcome to trade-in any or all of their Ad Slogan cards for new ones from the deck. There is a small fee of $100,000 to do this, but we think you'll find that the added enjoyment you receive will more than offset this nominal cost!

(Some restrictions apply. See store for details. Your results may vary. Member FDIC).

Hiring Spokes Celebrities

Advertising is all about image. And sometimes, to improve image, you need to hire a familiar face to put with a product. This game is one of those times.

At the end of each complete round, if your agency has enough cash to hire a SpokesCelebrity, you may do so. Simply pay the money to the bank, and take your SpokesCelebrity's card, place it in the plastic stand and display it proudly in front of your agency!

Be aware-hiring SpokesCelebrities can leave your agency strapped for cash. Which isn't a problem... unless you find yourself on the losing end of A Big Flop!

If you do not have the cash necessary to pay the $200,000 penalty, you must "release" a SpokesCelebrity for a lot less than you originally paid for them (see the Hiring prices and Release Values for SpokesCelebrities). Then you must build up enough money to buy them back.

You may choose any SpokesCelebrity you like, (of course your friends may judge you for your selection) but one of each type of celebrity must be purchased, in order, as listed below.

End of the Game

Be the first agency to hire 1 SpokesAnimal, 1 SpokesPerson and ME - The Ultimate Spokesperson, and you become the greatest advertising mogul the world has ever seen!

You'll be invited to all the best parties.

Meet all the best people. And your family and friends will hoist you on high to proclaim your advertising prowess to the world.

You must have all three SpokesCelebrities at the same time to win the game. If, at the end of the final round, there is more than one agency with enough money to hire Max Madison, in typical advertising fashion, hegoes to the highest bidder (a.k.a. the agency with the most cash).

In the rare event that the tied agencies have the same amount of cash, the agencies must have a "Play-Off" round. A new Product card is turned over and each agency is dealt a new Ad Slogan card (for a total of five in their hand).

Each of the tied agencies gets an additional turn, with the other agencies casting votes (as in regular game play) for each ad. At the end of the Play-Off the agency with the most cash is the winner and declared the "Advertising Mogul".

Continue Reading