Pole Position is widely credited as the first arcade game to feature billboard advertisements during gameplay.
Namco released Pole Position in 1982, and Atari distributed it in North America. Its Formula One-style race placed the player on a road lined with trackside signs, including recognizable commercial-style billboards. These signs were part of the visual environment rather than separate advertising screens.
The game’s advertising approach became notable because it integrated brands directly into the racing experience. Players encountered signs while steering through the course, making the game an early example of product placement in a video game.
Pole Position was also important for its qualifying-lap structure, which required players to complete a preliminary lap before entering the main race. Its rear-view perspective and scaling road helped establish conventions later used by many arcade racers. The billboards are often confused with later games that used more extensive licensed advertising, but Pole Position is the standard historical answer for this early milestone.