Marketing card

Marketing cards or ad cards, not to be confused with promotional cards, were added to the contents of a booster pack from Tenth Edition on. This sixteenth card is in the booster packs because the Magic Brand team has discovered that the only way to reach some players with advertising is through booster packs. The advertisements are about Magic-related things and are meant to educate newer players on the many other aspects of Magic.

Description

The cards exist in the booster packs because marketing pays for them. The Brand Team allows R&D to place content on one side of the cards, e.g. game concept relevant information to the specific set (called "Tips & Tricks", or a Rules card), links to useful sites, play aids and tokens. Because R&D uses “their side” for several different items, and since all tokens are on that side, not every ad card has a token.

The quality of marketing cards is slightly less than that of regular cards.

Occurrence

While being an approximation, the expected ratio of token cards to other cards used to be:

• 1 out of 3 for core sets.
• 2 out of 3 for expert-level sets.

Battle for Zendikar onwards

The ratio between token cards and other marketing cards was shifted heavily in favor of tokens in Battle for Zendikar. The new ratio is "approximately 9:10".

Murders at Karlov Manor onwards

The number of ad cards was further reduced with Murders at Karlov Manor and the introduction of Play Boosters.

See also

• Pro Tour Player Cards

Examples

• 

  Magic 2011 card promoting the release of The Sorcerer's Apprentice

• 

  M15 card promoting Duels of the Planeswalkers

• 

  M15 card promoting Magicthegathering.com

• 

  M15 card pointing to the rules for planeswalkers

• 

  M15 card advertising Vintage Masters

• 

  Ixalan card promoting the Pro Tour