In the dynamic sphere of mobile games, where competition is fierce and user attention is fleeting, implementing effective games advertising strategies is paramount for success.
As the mobile gaming industry continues to grow, developers and marketers have the important task of carrying out compelling game advertising strategies that not only capture users’ attention, but also drive engagement and retention.
Think about all the times you happened to come across numerous mobile games ads while playing on your mobile. This is exactly what you are going to read about in this article. Here, we will offer you a comprehensive exploration of 7 effective games advertising strategies that have proven to be particularly impactful.
Each strategy explored here is evidence of the creativity and innovation driving the industry forward. Join us on a journey through the ever-evolving world of mobile games advertising, as we uncover the secrets behind successful campaigns!
- Fishdom
- Gardenscapes
- MONOPOLY GO!
- Animals & Coins
- Pocket Champs: 3D Racing Games
- Tower War - Tactical Conquest
- Merge Mansion
The first example of an effective mobile games advertising strategy is Fishdom.
Fishdom is an engaging underwater puzzle adventure that introduces players to the irresistible world of match-3 fun. The game includes numerous puzzle levels, each offering distinctive challenges designed to assess players' skills and strategic thinking.
As players advance in the game, they also have the opportunity to engage in friendly competition with other players, enhancing the pace of their aquarium development and introducing a competitive dimension to the overall experience.
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Fishdom was developed by Playrix in 2008, but despite this, the game keeps popping up on our screen still today, representing one of the leading examples of truly effective mobile game advertising strategies.
Playrix's game advertising strategy involves the implementation of a video ad where the fictional player struggles to pass the level and that ends showing the quote “Can you do it better?”. In this way, the player will be more likely to accept this direct challenge and will download the full game.
As if this were not enough, after the video the player will be shown a playable ad where they will have the chance to easily overcome the first obstacles, contributing to their sense of pride.
Fishdom is a very effective example showing the real importance of successful mobile games ads that have the power to revive and re-market your product, even after 15 years!
Another Playrix’s success is Gardenscapes, a free-to-play casual puzzle game. It was launched in 2016 on the main app stores and it became very popular in a short time. In the same year, Facebook named Gardenscapes game of the year.
In the game, players are responsible for the care of the mansion and its majestic garden, and they are offered with unique combinations of match-3 puzzle systems and city-building-restoration elements, and an immersive storytelling that attracts and convinces them to go back to the game.
Undoubtedly, its success lies in the smart way in which developers have spread its presence within in-game advertising space, offering truly engaging and captivating mobile game ads.
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Again, the mobile game ads most employed in Playrix's game advertising strategy has been the implementation of playable and video ads but in reverse order.
At first the playable ad lets you try first-hand a simple level of the game, trying to raise your curiosity; then, a video ad will show you an overview of the different levels with an increased-level of difficulty, as if the game was challenging you to always do better.
Monopoly, the iconic board game that has been a cornerstone of family game nights for decades, has made its way in the digital world with the advent of MONOPOLY GO!.
This mobile game brings the classic real estate trading and strategic game to your fingertips, allowing players to experience the thrill of buying, selling and trading properties anytime and anywhere.
The game follows the same fundamental principles: players roll virtual dice, move around the board, and aim to bankrupt their opponents by acquiring valuable properties and collecting rent
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MONOPOLI GO! was launched in 2023 by Scopely. In this case, the game advertising strategy implemented by the developers has proven to be particularly successful. Indeed, the game has registered over 10 million download and currently stands at #1 in the ranking of the best free board games, both on Apple App Store and Google App Store!
Scopely achieved this great outcome using not only the most common video ads, but, as you can see in the picture above, they also exploit other types of creatives for their mobile game ads, such as banner ads.
Despite being less interactive than other ad formats, banner ads guarantee a subtle but constant presence on users’ screens.
Animals & Coins is an adventure mobile game developed in 2021 by Innplay Labs. It is a thrilling mobile game that invites players to embark on an addictive animal adventure with a global community.
In this game, players have the opportunity to build islands and bridges, raid lands, and collect valuable treasure island coins. The primary objective is to explore the animal island, strategically steal coins, and construct a formidable kingdom to ascend as the ultimate raid master.
The mobile game ads employed in Innplay Labs’ mobile game advertising strategy has ensured Animals & Coins the 6th position in the ranking of the top-grossing adventure games.
Once again, the combination of playable and video remains the first choice in the attempt to develop a successful game advertising strategy, but in this case there is something more.
In addition to playable and video ads, in Animals & Coins has been implemented what is called the fail ad strategy: while trying the game firsthand, the player may repeatedly fail the level, and in this case the word “FAILED!” will appear on their screen.
The fail ad strategy should cause the players a kind of “pride reaction”, which will probably convince them to download the full game to prove that they can do better.
Pocket Champs: 3D Racing Games is a fun action-packed multiplayer idle game, developed by MADBOX and released in 2021. It combines the excitement of strategy, skills and collection in a pocket-sized world.
It belongs to the arcade idle games category where players take on the role of a budding champion, engaging in exciting multiplayer races.
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The objective is to elevate the Champion’s statistics through training, to equip them with the best gadgets, and strategically exploit their abilities to win races against players from around the world.
The mobile game advertising includes mainly video ads that will show the player the main features of the game itself.
Released in 2021, Tower War - Tactical Conquest is a casual game developed by SayGames LTD. It is one of the best free-to-play mobile games in the main app stores: it ranks 5th both on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, among the best arcade games and the best strategy games, respectively.
Tower War is the perfect game for those who are looking for a mobile strategy game that is both serious fun and that offers a sophisticated tactical challenge. In this game, players will head into battle with their little warriors to eliminate the enemy, and will allocate their cute little forces with skill and precision.
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Tower War’s game advertising strategy is a combination of two ad formats. First, the playable ad will make the player personally try the game. It will see a hand on the screen that will suggest them and give them a hint about how to play the game.
Following the playable ad, the mobile game advertising will make users come across an interstitial ad with a “GET” button that will immediately redirect them on their app store. In these cases, it’s not unusual for Apple users to find another interesting mobile game ad, called SKOverlay, a small click-to-install banner that appears at the bottom of other ads.
SKOverlay is an Apple's proprietary technology that facilitates the installation of the mobile game as it allows players to download it without interrupting the ad that keeps running in background.
Merge Mansion is a casual puzzle game with a merge mechanic, created by Metacore Games in 2020. As with every merge game, the goal is to combine similar objects to create an upgraded item.
By playing this relaxing puzzle, the player will match and merge to renovate the house, clean up the gardens, and find amazing discoveries. Maddie uncovers her family history with every area she restores, but with each discovery she makes, there seems to be a new secret to dig into!
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The game advertising strategy gave the Merge Mansion a place in the spotlight. It is mainly carried out through the implementation of video ads. The storylines both in the game and in the ads are centred around the grandma and all the shocking secrets she’s hiding.
The mysteries surrounding the grandma are the most important part of the video ads, she’s the one driving the installs. The video ads boost the drama and the mysteries around Maddie and the grandma.
Giving space to the storylines and characters is a very effective game advertising strategy for your mobile game advertising. Indeed, it can be complicated to advertise puzzle games only through gameplays.
Final thoughts
Carrying out compelling game advertising strategies is one of the most important tasks in such a competitive field as it is the mobile games world. That’s why we have explored and described 7 examples of effective mobile games advertising strategies that have been particularly successful.
As we have seen from the examples above, the most common mobile games ads implemented for mobile games advertising are video and playable ads, as they are the two most entertaining and interactive creatives that usually ensure the highest ROI.
Nevertheless, they are not the only ones. Apart from video and playable ads, also banner and interstitial ads can be successfully implemented in effective games advertising strategies.
Even if less dynamic and interactive than others, they have a non-intrusive yet attention-grabbing nature that have proven to be equally effective.
The key for the success of a game advertising strategy is to find the right combination of all the main mobile game ads in order to exploit the strengths of each of them to guarantee the efficiency of your mobile game advertising.
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