In a first for presidential campaigns, the Obama campaign has bought billboard advertising within the virtual world of the Xbox 360 Racing Game Burnout Paradise. The ad buy was reported in Gigaom, which also reports that in 2006, potential presidential candidate Mark Warner did appear as an avatar at a press conference in Second Life.

Obama billboard in Burnout Paradise:

UPDATE: Politico posted a link to this slideshow of other Obama ads in video games.

UPDATE (10/16): TechPresident ponders the implications, and praises the Obama campaign, for this new advertising technique.