Michael Bublé Comes to CityVille

Michael Bublé is coming to CityVille. The Grammy-winning artist — whose album Christmas is currently number one on the Billboard 200 — will be making a (digital) appearance in Zynga's hit Facebook game.

Bublé joins a growing list of entertainers and brands that have integrated with various Zynga properties. This particular integration is well timed; not only is Bublé's album a big hit, CityVille proper is transforming itself into a winter wonderland.

Starting next week (around December 21, though the actual date hasn't been announced), a Michael Bublé avatar will make its way to CityVille. Players can mingle with the avatar and complete quests — including having a holiday bonfire with his band. The quests are styled after Bublé's personality and include objects like a Segway, a turntable and a hockey stick. After completing all the quests, fans are treated to an exclusive video from Christmas.

The integration will run for one week, however items and the bonfire building that fans earn in the game can continue to be used and displayed.

In the past, CityVille has had integrations with Enrique Iglesis and with the Michael Jackson IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. Zynga tells us that fans loved the concert. With the Enrique Iglesias integration, more than 45 million concerts were held in just one week in CityVille. That's a stunning level of uptake, even given the game's broad userbase.

CityVille, which launched last year, is Zynga's biggest game. According to AppData.com, 49 million people play the game each month. As Zynga prepares to go public, CityVille continues to be one of its crown jewels.

Zynga's Scott Koenigsberg, GM of CityVille, tells us that when it comes to partnerships and building integrations, the focus is on doing what will delight and excite players. "Zynga listens to feedback from its users and our goal is provide the best game experience that we can." While the quiet period required by SEC regulations prohibited Koenigsberg from discussing any future promotions, it seems safe to bet that these types of partnerships are critical to Zynga's continued monetary success.

What's smart about how Zynga approaches this kind of partnership — and we've seen this before with Lady Gaga and Jimmy Buffett — is that the branding and the promotion often tightly align with the game itself.

In a game such as CityVille, where Christmas and holiday-themed quests and challenges are already ongoing, having a recording artist who also happens to have a hit holiday album on store shelves is the perfect kind of synergy. For the frequent player, it offers an incentive to have another digital trinket to show off.

Take it from someone who was once sucked into the vortex of FarmVille (don't judge me!), the digital bragging rights one gets from having those trinkets on display is a great way to convince newcomers to spend more time in the game.

It will be interesting to see what promotional opportunities Zynga takes in the future.