Here’s my experience. I decided to go to secondlife.com and create an “avatar” or visual characterization of myself. After a short tutorial and advice from one of the many Second Life helper characters, I was flying around my new reality as a suave, handsome public relations account exec looking for a few good people to pitch new ideas to. At first, Second Life reminded me of games like The Sims, World of Warcraft, and StarWars Galaxies, but it turned out to be much more. This fantasy has a close connection with reality.

I started off my free stay by visiting “Cobalt’s Corner,” a hot rod shop where I decided to take a ride in a replica of the Batmobile, when an alarm sounded and I was catapulted into the air while a message scrolled across the screen saying, “This is private property!” Next, I fulfilled a life-long dream—to join a sorority. Unfortunately, none of my fellow sisters were around to join in the celebration (and I am sure they are trying to come up with ways to expel me), but the feeling of being the first man in Sigma Theta really made my day. I then found a water park where I rode head first down a water slide, followed by shooting cannons from a pirate ship while chatting with a girl from Florida who loved pirates, and finally relaxing at the end of the day at the local mall, browsing though clothes selections, posters and furniture for a “second” home.

What really stuck out while I was perusing my virtual world was the amazingly creative landscapes and architecture, from ancient castles to post-modern dwellings (which you as a land owner can construct), to, best of all, a sea of advertisements: “Buy New Clothes;” “Rent Space Here;” “Drive a New Car;” and my favorite, “Need a New Lightsaber?” It is here that a light went off in my head. I realized that in this brave new world the possibilities are endless, especially for the advertising industry. It is this opportunity that separates Second Life from its fantasy competitors.

Checking out the view.

In Second Life and similar games, there is a direct connection with the real world. You meet real people with real needs and real wants. While walking around one of the virtual malls, I was amazed to see that you could buy basically anything. You could purchase a new shirt for your avatar using the game’s currency, or a new shirt for your real body by linking out to a commercial web site. Imagine trying on clothes at The Gap, Old Navy, or Hugo Boss from one of these virtual shops, kicking the tires of a new car at the local dealership, or even touring a new home.

This “fantasy/reality” offers the advertising world an unlimited amount of space and a wide variety of people all in one place waiting to hear about the latest innovative product. We could use the virtual world to pitch the next blogger outreach program, or put up billboards for the latest brainstorm, or better yet, create an e-commerce factory. Members can buy land, put up advertisements, chat with fellow members asking them to try out the latest in virtual designer jeans, ride around in the latest automotive innovation, or fly to the mall and purchase the latest teen craze. The sky is the limit! A virtual world with thousands of new customers is just a click away.

Corporations are already jumping on the bandwagon. Wells Fargo is preparing a virtual spot on Second Life called “Stagecoach Island” to encourage kids to become financially responsible, while rumors are floating that Microsoft owns an island in Second Life that it uses for conferences and executive “getaways.”

Imagine having virtual meetings with clients, taking away the boring conference call and adding a fun, 3-D virtual setting. Imagine reaching out to consumers from your desktop by means of a real-time video game. Imagine “commuting” to the office right from your home computer, never spending a dime on gas.

The possibilities for the industry are endless, and, best of all, fun! Thinking outside of the box has become thinking outside reality. The world of marketing is about to change. Are we ready?