Try searching for
Mobile users are spending four to five hours a day in apps, and gaming makes up a big part of that: in 2022, there were 55.6 billion game downloads.
That’s a huge opportunity for app developers, but also makes for a competitive landscape. Meanwhile, advertisers want a piece of the action too, seizing the chance to meet customers where they are through in-app ads.
But users are becoming increasingly intolerant of mobile ads, citing frustration at the quantity and quality as well as privacy concerns, and the use of ad blocking software is on the rise.
The solution? Playable ads.
These interactive “mini games” grab attention and build engagement — they’ve been shown to achieve up to seven times the conversion of standard ads.
If that sounds like something you should have in your digital marketing toolkit, read on. We’ve got all the info and tips you need to take your playable ad game to the next level.
Playable ads are an interactive way to demonstrate gameplay or the in-app experience.
They’re sold as single-premium ad units designed to capture consumer attention and generate high-converting leads. Playables typically appear as in-app full-screen interstitials within leading social media platforms, mobile gaming apps, and entertainment or media apps.
Because users opt in to take part, they’re already demonstrating engagement and trust in your brand. From the user perspective, they get a taste of the app before they commit to installation, and playing a mini-game is arguably a better way to pass a micro-moment than passively waiting for the ad to expire.
A relatively low-stakes interaction for the user has the potential to convert into high-value user acquisition for the brand.
Initially a “try before you buy” strategy for game developers, playables now extend to all types of brand experiences. One of the first non-gaming companies to reap the benefits was Burger King, whose 2015’s Angriest Whopper game generated 336,700 plays and an average click-through rate of 40.25% in just 14 days — all for the reward of a Burger King coupon.
There are two main types of playable ads:
While the video format is generally easier to produce, HTML offers a better representation of the game, making it arguably more engaging.
Playable ads are valuable to both marketers and publishers who have had to rethink their strategies for advertising campaigns, due to ad-blocking technologies and restrictions on data tracking.
But playables offer much more than just a legal workaround. Let’s take a look at some more of the benefits.
Here are a few more reasons why you should be using playable ads as part of your digital marketing plan:
Playable ads can be broken down into three main parts. As well as offering scope for creativity and engagement, each one provides valuable data to measure the success of your campaign.
This is your “hook”, where you entice players into your game. As well as grabbing attention, this section needs to be short and sweet, showing people immediately how to get started with play.
Measure it: Your opener can provide data on upfront click-to-play/start, plus impressions and viewing times.
This is your chance to showcase your game, so don’t waste it. Include as many game features and functionalities as possible to give users a true taste of the experience, but don’t overcomplicate things – you want them to be able to jump right in. With ads typically lasting between 15 and 60 seconds, every second counts!
Measure it: Gameplay can provide engagement data on time spent, CTAs, and click-throughs.
It’s crunch time – getting users to actually download your app. Be sure to close with a strong call to action, taking users directly to the store to download and install.
Measure it: This final section can provide data on replay or share rates.
To make a winning playable ad you need to consider four key aspects:
Let’s explore these in more detail.
As mentioned earlier, you have no more than a minute to grab attention and get people hooked on your game ready to download it, so every stage of your creative needs to be on point. Here’s how:
Your tutorial or opener has to makea great first impression. Keep it snappy and demo only the most attractive and essential aspects of your game — don’t forget to use familiar game mechanics so users can jump right in and play.
As we’ve already mentioned, playables have the advantage of being lightweight and fast-loading. And the flexibility of HTML5 creates seamless experiences across mobile and desktop platforms.
Here are a few technical terms you’ll want to understand on a basic level when working with playable ad developers:
This allows all measurement partners in the ad ecosystem to tap into an ad’s viewability data from a single location on iOS and Android devices, giving marketers clearer insights into their campaign impressions and reducing reporting inconsistencies.
Each of the three main creative elements in a playable ad is trackable. Therefore, it can provide valuable measures of user engagement through their interactive behaviors: swiping, clicking, and tapping.
Here are some of the elements you can look to optimize:
Analyzing interaction data can help you finetune your creative at a granular level, like making adjustments to character features or tweaking the game’s level of difficulty.
You might also consider A/B testing different variations of your end screen – relative to whether a user wins or loses a round – to see which CTAs are most effective at driving user engagement.
There are two main options for the placement of your playable ad:
As playable ads have expanded beyond the gaming world, some best practices have emerged. The key thing to remember is that this is a customer-first medium, so tune into what motivates your target audience and pay keen attention to user experience (UX).
Playable ads are interactive “mini games” that engage users with your brand. Often used to provide a taster of gaming apps, playable ads offer high engagement and conversion rates because users have actively opted in to play.
Playable ads attract engaged users, filter out uncommitted users, and comply with privacy regulations, while also giving users a fun, frictionless ad experience without requiring a download.
Playable ads consist of a tutorial or opening card to hook users, the gameplay experience to showcase the app, and a closing sequence with a clear call to action.
Successful playable ads should focus on a single theme, keep gameplay brief and intuitive, include memorable features, and provide a clear, engaging call to action. Consider offering an incentive for conversions, and keep testing and optimizing the experience.
Adhering to standards like MRAID and OM SDK ensures seamless, fast-loading experiences across platforms, while also providing consistent metrics for ad viewability and performance.
