The Barack Obama presidential campaign have been continuously raising eyebrows with some very on-the-ball mobile marketing and advertising moves.

First, he created his own social network.

In the start of 2008, he was already using interactive mobile marketing, to allow his followers to get regular updates on specific issues that interested them, by texting in keywords like 'HEALTH' and 'IRAQ' that were recognised in the message body.

Next, the presidential candidate decided to use a more direct approach to his followers by using SMS marketing to notify them first of the VP selection via text messaging, which apparently also set a world record for a single SMS marketing campaign.

Then following all the iPhone hype, an iPhone app, that allowed them to "Call Friends", "Get Involved", find out about "Local Events", "Receive Updates via SMS and e-mail, get the latest "News", read all the Obama positions on anything from civil rights, to Iraq, and, of course, the option to "Donate".  

Now, the Obama campaign has struck a deal with EA Sports, to be featured in 9 of their best selling games.

Avid gamers who aren't turned on by the idea have nothing to worry about, you won't be bombarded with overtly conspicuous Obama advertising that has nothing to do with the actual game itself. Instead, the advertising will appear where you'd expect adverts to appear in games - for example, on billboards around the pitch.  

I don't know if he will get elected eventually, but the marketing moves have certainly been innovative and it only remains to be seen if they have also been the right ones.