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Techmobile games

Kate Upton, Game of War, and one enormous ad spend

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
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By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 5, 2015, 12:23 PM ET
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 22:  Kate Upton attends the promotional event for "Game Of War - Fire Age" at G-Star 2014 Global Game Exhibition on November 22, 2014 in Busan, South Korea.  (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage,)
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 22: Kate Upton attends the promotional event for "Game Of War - Fire Age" at G-Star 2014 Global Game Exhibition on November 22, 2014 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage,)Photograph by Han Myung-Gu — WireImage/Getty Images

Supermodel Kate Upton has been donning armor these last few months as the spokeswoman for the mobile title Game of War: Fire Age. In a Bloomberg feature published Thursday, it’s reported that the title’s parent company, Machine Zone, set aside $40 million for the four-month campaign featuring Upton.

Upton featured in an advertisement played during the Super Bowl, which saw downloads for the mobile game surge and pass its main competitor, Clash of Clans, in the Apple App Store rankings. (Check out the 30-second spot here, which has since garnered over 7 million views on the Game of War’s YouTube page.) Since then, however, Clash of Clans remains more popular at No. 31 for top free apps in the App Store. Game of War is No. 77.

Game of War is raking in cash, too. In fact, Bloomberg reported it is collecting more than $1 million per day, double the amount last spring. The reason? Though the game is free to download, in-app purchases that add up quickly.

Upton tweeted about her involvement”

So amazing to be in the #GameofWar#SuperBowl commercial! See the full version below and let me know what you think!https://t.co/s05NDAwIOm

— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) February 1, 2015

Game of War’s success comes as spending for mobile video games is quickly rising. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reported last summer that Machine Zone expected to earn over $600 million in 2014. There were also talks with JPMorgan Chase of fundraising at a $3 billion valuation, Bloomberg reported.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
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Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

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