How To Produce Winning Ad Creative For Mobile App Subscription Services

See what’s working right now for mobile app subscription services:

  • Discover user motivations for subscription apps
  • Compare top creative trends from mobile subscription apps
  • Use our Ad Concept Model to stay ahead of creative fatigue

How to Produce Winning Ad Creative for Mobile App Subscription Services

Mobile app subscription services range from weekly food boxes to productivity tools to fitness trackers. Borrowing from the value propositions of software-as-a-service, mobile subscription services promise an ongoing value for a recurring payment. While different mobile subscription categories focus on specific user interests, there are universal user motivations for subscription services that drive their popularity across all verticals. In fact, the subscription economy is so strong that financial services firm UBS predicts it will more than double to $1.5 trillion by 2025.

Using our Ad Concept Model, we’ve analyzed creative trends and user motivations for mobile app subscription services. Our model is designed to systematize creative development and UA targeting based on iterative testing. We identify creative trends and motivations within a mobile game genre or app category, then create concepts for target user personas where they intersect.

This process ensures we always have new creative concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue. We’ve systematized the process so we know what works, why it works, and how to do more of it. From niche to mainstream, our creative concepting model means our clients get reliable top-performing creative in the most cost-efficient and scalable way.

Mobile App Subscription Services Creative Trends

Competitive research will reveal which creative trends are working best across social platforms. To identify creative trends, use Facebook Ad Library to see every ad currently running on their ad network. You can also use Mobile Action, SensorTower, or AppAnnie competitor libraries. AdRules, our proprietary SaaS platform, analyzes 3.5 million videos and is updated daily. Creative trends we’ve identified for mobile subscription apps broadly include:

  • App Overview: An image or video that communicates overall user experience
  • Key Feature: Focus on the specific benefits of a core feature
  • Testimonial: Focus on a user’s review and/or experience
  • Animated Text: Kinetic typography or motion graphics
  • Visually compelling: Focus on arresting photography
  • Brand: Focus solely on brand messaging

Mobile App Subscription Services User Motivations

Below, we’ve outlined high-level motivational triggers for a mobile app subscriber. The included motivations are specific to the mobile app subscription model itself, not an individual category such as fitness or productivity.

mobile app subscription service

Mobile App Subscription Services Creative Trends x User Motivations

We map identified creative trends to user motivations within the category to develop and iterate on different concepts. In the empty model below, each box represents a different ad creative concept. Our ad concept matrix supports nearly 40 creative concepts for mobile subscription service apps by pairing six trends with six user motivations.

The proposed ad concept model acts as a foundation for an iterative creative process that can be customized and extended to develop endless ad concepts for an app, website, or service. By building a scalable infrastructure for creative ideation, we provide unique lanes for creative teams and media buyers to explore ideas. The model also acts as an archive of knowledge to ensure we are always optimizing what we have learned.

mobile app subscription services

 

Why use a model like this?

Tying persona-led ad creative to user motivation is what Facebook calls a “future-proof solution” for UA and creative teams. With the negative impacts of IDFA loss, including erosion of lookalike audience targeting and A/B testing, focusing on persona motivation is the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition.

Even if you adapt to the volatile ad ecosystem, it can still be hard to beat your control video. But a constant stream of fresh creative concepts and smart, iterative testing means we can beat the algorithmic odds. Consumer Acquisition’s industry expertise comes from managing over $4 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers. Our process is designed to save time and money by killing losing creatives quickly to significantly reduce non-converting spend. Our proprietary technology enables our entire global team to make creative and media buying decisions. These decisions are based on a client’s financial performance, helping them achieve and sustain profitable mobile app user acquisition.

 Want better results from UA?

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com.

 Check out our creative work:

Creative Trends

 

The UA Formula To Beat Facebook Creative Fatigue: Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model

In today’s post, we discuss how to increase your Facebook creative success rate using our Ad Concept Model. Here we explain our UA formula to beat Facebook creative fatigue, including how to:

  • Systematize creative concepting
  • Utilize user motivations to tailor ad creative
  • Use creative trends and user motivations to create defined paths new ad concepts
  • Find the creative trends popular within specific categories

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model

Based on over 100,000 videos and images we produce and test yearly for our clients, our research has shown that winning ads last only 10 weeks, before they burn out. We have performed over 25,000 A/B and multivariate tests on Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Snap and have learned that 85-95% of new creative concepts fail to outperform your best ad. To survive in this volatile ad ecosystem, you’ll need 20-50 new concepts to find your next winning creative. And you’ll need to keep developing new concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue.

Tying persona-led ad creative to user motivation is what Facebook calls a “future-proof solution” for UA and creative teams. With the negative impacts of IDFA loss, including erosion of lookalike audience targeting and A/B testing, ad creative based on persona motivation is the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition.

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model is designed to systematize creative development and UA targeting based on iterative testing. These are the steps within the model:

  1. Identify creative trends within a category
  2. Identify motivations within a category
  3. Map creative trends to motivations within a category
  4. Create concepts for one persona at the intersection of each trend and motivation
  5. Repeat step 4 for all additional personas

Using these steps, we will show you how we create dozens of persona-led ad concepts efficiently and effectively within our Ad Concept Model. We recently analyzed creative trends for fashion games and financial apps and use those categories to explore our ad concept model. Every app category or game sub-genre can leverage a unique combination of distinct emotional triggers and creative trends to attract users.

 

CREATIVE TRENDS

Step 1: Identify creative trends within a category

Start with your internal data on what creative is working best already, then go deep on what’s working for competitors. Use Facebook Ad Library to see every ad currently running on their ad network. For implied success metrics, you can use Mobile Action, SensorTower, or AppAnnie competitor libraries. AdRules, our SaaS platform analyzes 3.5 million videos and is updated daily. Your goal is to get a broad view of what creative is working and what isn’t across the category. Identify the creative trends you’re seeing and segment those trends.

Depending on the app category, some creative trends may include:

  • An app overview focused on overall user experience and/or specific features
  • An app overview using tips and quizzes to show benefits
  • Testimonials and reviews from users
  • Influencers and celebrities delivering the primary message
  • Current events and topical or timely content
  • Social connection, social media, and chatting
  • Memes and comedic text on an image, often building on something that’s already viral
  • Achievement opportunities like level progression and mastery of a game
  • Vignettes featuring short character scenarios or stories

Competitive research will reveal which creative trends are working best across social platforms.

 

MOTIVATIONS

Step 2: Identify motivations within a category

As consumer marketing has grown up, we’ve learned there is no perfect Pepsi, but there are perfect Pepsis for particular palates; the same goes for products in any market. Before building out a matrix for a particular set of ad concepts, we identify different motivations driving our user personas and break down those motivations by underlying values and desires. Below we have included motivational triggers and preferences for games compared to fintech apps to show the distinction between categories.

standard gaming motivation

ad concept model - FinTech and financial motivations

CREATIVE TRENDS X MOTIVATIONS

Step 3: Map creative trends to motivations within a category

We map identified motivations to creative trends within the category to develop and iterate on different concepts.

Using our fashion game or fintech examples, our ad concept matrices each support nearly 50 concepts by pairing eight trends with six motivations.

gaming motivations for target persona

ad concept model for finance app motivations for target persona

CREATIVE TREND X MOTIVATION X PERSONA

Step 4: Create concepts for one persona at the intersection of each trend and motivation

While not all creative trends will work persuasively with each motivation, we can expand our concepts even further by targeting specific personas within each pairing. Based on personas, we develop a bespoke creative strategy targeting behaviors, triggers, and preferences.

For example, concepts for a first-time home buyer as a persona can be extrapolated out to fill the entire matrix. Below, we’ve taken one fintech creative trend—Tips and Quizzes—and simplified some example concepts using six different motivations for a first-time home buyer persona.

ad concept model for first time home buyer

REPEAT

Step 5: Repeat the previous step for all additional personas

Just as we’ve done for a first-time home buyer, we can build out concepts for other target personas as well. Consider someone who just started a new job, or hit a milestone birthday, or just received an inheritance. Messaging, imagery, pacing, even tone, will trigger different responses for different personas. Using our Ad Concept Model, these four personas (homebuyer, new job, milestone birthday, inheritance) provide an opportunity for almost two hundred concepts.

Why use a model like this?  

We’ve learned why it can be hard to beat your control video. But a constant stream of fresh creative concepts and smart, iterative testing means we can beat the algorithmic odds. Our industry expertise comes from managing over $3 billion in creative and paid social spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers. Consumer Acquisition runs our tests using our software AdRules via Facebook, Google, and TikTok APIs. Our process is designed to save time and money by killing losing creatives quickly to significantly reduce non-converting spend.

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model ensures we always have new creative concepts to stay ahead of creative fatigue. We’ve systematized the process, so we know what works, why it works, and how to do more of it. From niche to mainstream, our creative concepting model means our clients get reliable top-performing creative in the most cost-efficient and scalable way.

FinTech Ad Creative: Why Acorns Ads Work

See what’s working right now for FinTech ad creative:

  • Discover user motivations for using FinTech apps
  • Compare top FinTech creative trends
  • Get the breakdown on successful Acorns ad creative

FinTech Ad Creative: Why Acorns Ads Work

From investment advice to cryptocurrency to budget planning, fintech apps put money management right in your pocket. We’ve analyzed the best-performing fintech ads based on Facebook Ad Library data to see why they are working. Overall, we’ve observed:

  • Images are, as effective, and sometimes more than videos
  • Retirement/investment messaging performs better than advisor messaging
  • Provocative or question-based copy performs best
  • Vague headlines are not as effective as direct headlines

Acorns, the micro-investing app aimed at democratizing investment, is utilizing several ad creative trends successfully. We go deep on how Acorns is tapping into unique user motivations in the fintech space.

Tying persona-led ad creative to user motivation is what Facebook calls a “future-proof solution” for UA and creative teams. With the negative impacts of IDFA loss, including erosion of lookalike audience targeting and A/B testing, focusing on personas is the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition. To better understand why people hit that install button, our creative learning agenda incorporates intensive research into app genre, personas, and user motivations.

FinTech Apps and Sites We Reviewed

Acorns, Fisher Investments, Lending Tree, The Penny Hoarder, Northern Trust Wealth Management, Dave: Banking for Humans, Current: The Bank for Modern Life, Coinbase, Crypto.com, M1 Finance, Finimize, Kabbage: Small Business Loans, DOSH, Edward Jones, Edelman Financial Engines, Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, myFICO, YNAB, Mint, The Balance, Personal Capital, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Wealthsimple, Robinhood, Nerdwallet, Stash, Earnin, Motley Fool, WalletHub.

FinTech Ad Creative Trends We Identified

  • App Overview/Feature Benefit: An image or video that communicates overall user experience and/or specific features. (Dave, Current, Coinbase, M1 Finance, Finimize, Edward Jones, Credit Karma, many others)  
  • App Overview/Tips & Quizzes: Communicating app features and/or benefits through advice or quizzes. (Fisher Investments, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Persona Capital, Penny Hoarder, Nerdwallet)fintech ad creative journey
  • Testimonial: Focused on a user’s review and/or experience of the app. (Penny Hoarder, Dave, M1 Finance, Dosh, Credit Karma, YNAB, Personal Capital, Wealthsimple, Robinhood, Earnin)
  • Influencers: Utilizing influencers and/or celebrities to deliver the primary message. (Personal Capital)
  • Promotional: Contests, promotions, gift cards, and other rewards for using and/or downloading the app. (Lending Tree, Current, Coinbase, Crypto.com, M1 Finance, Robinhood)
  • Current Events/Topical: Having to do with recent news or impactful events. (Lending Tree)
  • Social Connection:  Involving people connecting on social media or via text. (Dave, Finimize, Earnin)
  • Meme: Comedic text on an image, often building on something that’s already viral. (Credit Sesame) 

 

Motivational triggers that cause people to use Fintech apps:

  • Milestone birthday: Realization upon reaching a meaningful age that retirement is approaching, triggering a newfound sense of urgency and/or responsibility.
  • Job change: Change can evoke a sense of anxiety and need for financial security and control.
  • Sold/bought a home: Taking on more debt or suddenly getting an influx of cash from a sale can trigger overwhelm or a need for guidance.
  • Legacy: Receiving an inheritance or estate planning can trigger tax and investment questions.
  • Paid off debt: Increased cashflow from a lack of debt can trigger the desire to make responsible, future-looking decisions
  • Simply being proactive: Seeking guidance on budgeting, saving for retirement, planning for the future, etc.

 

Why Acorns Ads Work

“From acorns, mighty oaks do grow.” This is the promise Acorns makes to its users by offering investment accounts for families, retirement, checking, earning opportunities, and a knowledge hub. In their ads, Acorns uses simple phrasing that feels accessible and easy while leveraging many different creative tactics to appeal to user motivations.

fintech ad creative acorns ads

Creative trends Acorns uses in their ads include:

App Feature Benefit: Mapping a real-world example alongside a screenshot of user experience highlights the value of the app. This also appeals to the desire to be financially proactive (without having to do too much).

App Tips: Pairing investment advice with outcomes highlights value. Using milestone birthdays triggers a sense of urgency and responsibility.

Influencers: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s own financial story appeals to users and provides an opportunity to be proactive. Acorns also use Ashton Kutcher and Steve Harvey in their ads.

Promotional: Receiving a monetary reward from the app itself shows it is a partner in creating financial freedom. Claiming the promotion is an affirmative, proactive step in that partnership.

 

Fintech Ad Creative Concepts

 

Trend: App Overview—Feature Benefit

Create concepts that focus on the overall site experience, as well as specific features:

  • Appeal to different financial triggers (home buying, job change, retirement, college, etc.)
  • Try copy tied to a positive emotional benefit rather than fear-based messaging (e.g., “Retirement? You got this.”)

FinTech companies utilizing trend:

  • Acorns, Dave, Current, Coinbase, M1 Finance, Finimize, Edward Jones, Edelman Financial Engines, Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, myFICO, YNAB, The Balance, Marcus, Personal Capital, Wealthsimple, Robinhood, Stash, Nerdwallet, Earnin, Fisher Investments

 

Trend: App Overview—Tips & Quizzes

Features advice and/or quizzes:

  • Communicates key benefits/features by engaging with a user
  • Appeal to different financial triggers (home buying, job change, retirement, college, etc.)
  • Explore a diverse range of user representations
  • Explore refined illustration in addition to portraits

FinTech companies  utilizing trend:

  • Fisher Investments, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Personal Capital, Penny Hoarder, Nerdwallet, Edward Jones

 

Trend: Testimonials & Reviews

Feature user and media reviews:

  • Written reviews are easiest to produce
  • Can test versions that feature independent media reviews and user reviews
  • UGC testimonials are a simple way to review the site
  • Explore individual user profiles

FinTech companies utilizing trend:

  • Penny Hoarder, Dave, M1 Finance, Kabbage, Dosh, Credit Karma, YNAB, Personal Capital, Wealthsimple, Robinhood, Earnin

 

Trend: Influencers

Utilize celebrities or influencers to promote the site:

  • Inset or split-screen, combining influencer with site graphics
  • Full-screen influencer testimonial, before cutting to app use and end card
  • Can also work with static images/quotes from the endorser

FinTech companies utilizing trend:

  • Acorns, Personal Capital

 

Trend: Promotional

Create a promotion where visitors to the website can register to win money or other prizes:

  • Creates an incentive to visit the site
  • Prizes could include:
    • money for retirement fund
    • Help with house down payment
    • Pay off of a credit card
    • Free financial planning from a fiduciary for a year

FinTech companies utilizing trend:

  • Lending Tree, Current, Coinbase, Crypto.com, M1 Finance, Robinhood

 

Trend: Social Connection

Create concepts that leverage social platforms:

  • Used successfully by John Hancock in TV ads
  • Texting can be a good way to tell narrative stories in an inexpensive, easy-to-produce format

FinTech companies utilizing trend:

  • Dave, Finimize, Earnin

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model

To stay ahead of creative fatigue, Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model systematizes the creation process. Using our model, it’s possible to create dozens of persona-led ad concepts efficiently and effectively. Every app category or game sub-genre can leverage a unique combination of distinct emotional triggers and creative trends to attract users. Here is our Ad Concept Model for FinTech Ad Creative:

ad concept model for FinTech ad creative

Why trust our UA and creative recommendations?

  • Founded in 2013, we are a technology-enabled marketing services company and creative studio that has managed over $3 billion in creative and social ad spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers.
  • We provide end-to-end creative and user acquisition services for mobile app marketers via performance-oriented creative storytelling, integrated UA, and creative optimization.
  • We provide game-changing results driven by quantitative optimization and a relentless focus on increasing your net profit driven by client-specific, creative learning agendas.
  • Clients we’ve helped grow: Roblox, Glu Mobile, Disney, SuperHuman, Rovio, Jam City, Wooga, NBA, MLB, Ford, Sun Basket, Lion Studios, MobilityWare, and many others.

 Want better results from UA?

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com.

 Check out our creative work:

Creative Trends

 

Consumer Acquisition Appears on the San Francisco Business Times Fast 100 list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies for 3rd Consecutive Year

Once again, the San Francisco Business Times named Consumer Acquisition to its annual list of the top 100 fastest-growing private companies in the Bay Area.

Consumer Acquisition Named on Fast 100

Each year, the San Francisco Business Times reveals the Bay Area’s Fast 100 companies based on percent revenue growth. Companies on the Times’ Fast 100 list represent extraordinary organizations. In addition, they are companies that have shown meteoric growth and potential over the past three years. These businesses also reflect the diversity of industries in the Bay Area across a wide array of industries. For example, industries from software and fintech to construction, health care, professional services, and food manufacturing.

Brian Bowman, CEO, and founder of Consumer Acquisition commented. “In our third consecutive year of being recognized as a leading Bay Area company in growth, we are again truly honored to be included by the San Francisco Business Times. This recognition is entirely a credit to the people of our organization. They continue to drive growth and innovation at Consumer Acquisition year after year.”

Since its initial founding in 2013, Consumer Acquisition has grown tremendously. They have managed over $4 billion in creative and social ad spend. Thus, helping the world’s largest mobile games, apps, and performance advertisers. Additionally, the company provides a creative studio supported by an elite Hollywood storytelling team, user acquisition services from tenured acquisition specialists, and self-service tools for Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Snap mobile app advertisers. All of which contributes to its growth, which is recognized by the San Francisco Times this year.

Check out the full list of companies recognized by the San Francisco Business Times this year: Fast 100: Meet the fastest-growing private companies in the Bay Area in 2021.

fast 100

 

With this continued growth, we are excited to share our Mission, Vision, and Values statements.

Vision

To help our clients grow through advertising that mobile app users love.

Mission

To deliver impactful financial results for our clients through creative storytelling and data-driven optimization.

Values

We have a deep respect for both qualitative and quantitative experience.

  • A fully remote, global team exemplifies connected collaboration, balancing flexibility with accountability.
  • Shared success, built on a fusion of artistry and analysis.
  • Dedication to providing exceptional client results, supported by our commitment to our team’s work-life balance.

We innovate through both visionary risks and calculated analysis.

  • We create, learn, optimize, and create again.
  • Diversity of thought enriches our investigations.
  • Ideas born from instinct, are proven through iterative testing.

We support each other and the community to adapt to new challenges.

  • From industry volatility to shifting client needs, we respond with innovative solutions.
  • We share our collective insights to stay at the forefront of our industry.
  • Our ability to grow in an unpredictable environment is rooted in resilience and collaboration.

To better understand what makes us unique, we interviewed one of our very own rock stars.

Hear from Ariel Neiman, Director of User Acquisition, on what it’s like to work at Consumer Acquisition. Ariel has been with the company for 2 ½ years. Promoted twice during that time, she helped lead the UA team’s success. Some of her favorite parts about her job include being fully remote and working with her big clients and brands. She also appreciates the coaching and support she receives from her manager. When Ariel isn’t working, you can find her taking a new class, exploring a nearby town, or snuggling her cat.

Mobile App UA & Creative Roundup October 2021

Today’s post brings you the most up-to-date trends and tactics for UA and creative across platforms and genres for October 2021. We’ve got new UA campaign guidance straight from Google and TikTok Business along with our Q4 A/B Testing Best Practices white paper updated for post-IDFA loss.

From style and fashion games to fantasy football, we’ve analyzed top-performing ad creative to show how player motivations can improve your top-of-funnel UA. Plus, we’ve gone deep on Apple’s anti-consumer, anti-developer behavior, most notably with the privacy update in iOS 15.

 

Mobile App UA & Creative Roundup October 2021

 

Persona-Led Creative & Creative Trends

 

October 2021 Facebook, TikTok, Google Creative Testing Best Practices

Q4 2021 Creative Testing Best Practices for Facebook, Google, and TikTok

In the face of IDFA loss, SKAN requirements, and media buying automation, our updated A/B creative testing guide will help user acquisition and creative teams make the most of their campaigns.

 

ios 15

Apple Is Anticompetitive: From ATT to IAPs

With only 10% of all App Store users generating 70% of App Store revenue, Apple is clearly trying to corner the market of high-value spenders. Read the article to see Apple’s tactics in action.

 

Google App UA

2021 Hot Tips for Google UA

Here’s what’s working right now, how to evaluate SKAN Discrepancies, SKAN Modeling Delays (pre/post iOS 14.5), and benefits of Firebase implementation.

 

TikTok Creative Hot Tips for Fall 2021

TikTok Creative Hot Tips for Fall 2021

Read our newest TikTok Creative guide to get the latest creative recommendations straight from TikTok and up-to-date analysis of high-performing U.S. game ads.

 

NFL & Sports App Ad CreativeSports Games: Top Tactics for High Performing Ad Creative

To celebrate the NFL season, we reviewed top-performing ads for fantasy football apps, sports betting, and sports game simulators.

 

Fashion & Style Simulation GamesFashion and Style Simulation Games Creative Trends

From revenge makeovers to pets and parties, fashion games pump up the beauty, drama, and personal connection for gamers. We’ve analyzed the best-performing fashion and style simulation game ads based on MobileAction data.

october 2021 14 vs 15

Apple Is Anticompetitive: From ATT to IAPs

“…the Court finds that common threads run through Apple’s practices which unreasonably restrains competition and harm consumers…”  Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple Inc.

Consumer Acquisition has been reporting on Apple’s anti-developer, anti-advertiser restrictions for months now. While our reports have primarily focused on devastating advertising revenue loss and impacts, the ruling of the Epic Games case and inconsistent privacy language in iOS 15 have shown Apple is also anticompetitive to the disservice of consumers and developers.

With only 10% of all App Store users generating 70% of App Store revenue, Apple is clearly trying to corner the market of high-value spenders by:
  • Preventing users from accessing less expensive alternative purchasing methods in the App Store to maintain their high margins (i.e., the Epic Case)
  • Luring users entirely out of third-party advertising platforms with privacy scare tactics (i.e., anti-advertising ATT language)
  • Making it very difficult for third-party platforms to identify top spenders and effectively build lookalike models (i.e., the loss of IDFA)
  • Reduced profitability of iOS advertising by rendering A/B or multivariate creative testing useless.

Ultimately, this anticompetitive behavior is highly disruptive to the vitality of the iOS advertising market and is having a negative impact on mobile app game developers, advertisers, and consumers.

 

October 2021 Facebook, TikTok, Google Creative Testing Best Practices

 

Get our Q4 2021 Creative Testing Best Practices for TikTok, Facebook & Google white paper for proven UA tactics to survive and thrive in a post-IDFA world.

IDFA loss, SKAN requirements, and media buying automation through Facebook AAA or Google UAC are tough challenges facing user acquisition and creative teams right now. Read the white paper for:

  • Facebook, TikTok & Google creative testing best practices
  • iOS A/B creative testing without IDFA
  • Updated Android A/B creative testing best practices
  • Analysis of the evolving mobile app ad ecosystem
  • Creative testing recommendations for IAP and IAA apps
  • Automated ad buying benefits and deficits

 

creative reels

More Creative Trends

Helpful Content

For more information on persona-led creative or IDFA impact, please contact sales@consumeracquisition.com.

Fashion and Style Simulation Games: Why Super Stylist Ads Work

Check out what’s working right now for fashion and style simulation games ad creative:

  • Discover user motivations for fashion and style simulation games
  • Compare top fashion and style simulation game creative trends
  • Get the breakdown on successful Super Stylist ad creative

Fashion and Style Simulation Games: Why Super Stylist Ads Work

From revenge makeovers to pets and parties, fashion and style simulation games pump up the beauty, drama, and personal connection for gamers. We analyzed the best-performing fashion and style simulation game ads based on MobileAction data. The strongest ads in this category are simple, quick, and funny. Dramatic and relatable relationship stories stand out. Letting the viewer feel like they’re making gameplay choices through real or augmented mechanics motivates engagement. And to combat the negative impacts of IDFA loss and the erosion of lookalike audience targeting player motivation matters. Whether we call it motivation-led, profile-based, or persona-led creative, Facebook says this approach to user acquisition is a “future-proof solution.”

Fashion & Style Simulation Games

With IDFA loss rendering A/B or multivariate creative testing useless, tailoring creative to different player motivations is the most efficient lever for sustained profitable user acquisition. To better understand why people hit that install button, our creative learning agenda incorporates intensive research into game genre, personas, and user motivations as well as understanding what ads our target users are responding to in other markets.

Here are ad creative trends we’re seeing for fashion and style simulation games:

  • Choosing what’s next from the player POV to direct narrative while interacting with the game’s characters
  • Game trailer/overview that showcases user experience, core objectives, and other game featurescreative journey
  • Fashion and style challenges
  • Using social media or texting to convey the narrative or primary message
  • Character focus using countdowns, origin stories
  • Vignettes featuring short character scenarios or stories
  • Achievement opportunities like level progression and mastery of a game
  • Success vs. Fail gameplay contrasting experienced and amateur players

Why these trends work: 

By analyzing high-performing ads through the lens of player motivations, we can break down why specific ads appeal to different audiences.

  • Choosing what’s next appeals to self-expression, progression, and escapism
  • Fashion and design challenges appeal to self-expression and escapism
  • Using social media or texting appeals to social connection
  • Focusing on character stories and vignettes appeal to discovery, relaxation, and escapism
  • Achievement opportunities and Success vs. Fail gameplay appeals to expertise, power, and progression

Fashion and Style Simulation Games

 

Why Super Stylist Ads Work

Top-25 RPG Super Stylist is a fashion story game that earned 2 million downloads in August 2021 and over 50 million downloads since its 2019 release, according to Sensor Tower. Through Mobile Action, we can see how Super Stylist’s high-performing ads make the most of popular creative trends for fashion story games.

fashion and style simulation games

Featured creative trends:

  • Relatable character vignette: The main character prepares cocktails for a party and when her friends arrive early, she must get appropriately dressed
  • Social/text overlay: text helps the story progress and reminds players of social interaction
  • Player choice: choosing makeup, hair, and outfits allows for self-expression and decision-making
  • Challenge and mastery: showing the countdown timer and fluctuating success triggers sparks a desire for mastery and achievement
  • “Fail” gameplay: The final cumulative outfit decision is ultimately unsuccessful providing an opportunity for the player to do better

 

Creative Concepts for Fashion & Style Games

Create ads based on choosing what’s next:

  • Use diverse characters and situations
  • Offer multiple quick choices
  • Use popular themes like jealousy, cheating, hooking up, fantasy, and revenge makeovers

Insert player into the narrative:

  • Have character interact directly with the player
  • Use meters to rate player responses
  • Feature simple situations, not complex narratives
  • Use popular themes like what to wear, hooking up, fantasy, and revenge makeovers

Fashion & Style Challenges:

  • Event-based fashion choices like what to wear on a date
  • Revenge-based makeovers from being rejected by a character
  • Male makeovers based on rejection or aspiration
  • Self-acceptance makeovers rejecting perfection in favor of body positivity
  • Design a perfect date by choosing the right movie, food, etc.
  • Hyper-customization including avatar skin tone, facial features, room design, etc.

Feature gameplay with emoji overlays and talk bubbles to communicate emotions:

  • Humanizes and adds humor
  • Showcases game graphics
  • Appeals to players motivated by community, being on a team, interacting, fantasy, and surprises

Create side-by-side videos of good (Pro) versus bad (Noob) gameplay:

  • Shows the challenges
  • Highlights both “wins” and “fails”

Create gameplay videos that explain the experience in detail:

  • Detail benefits of playing (customization, escapism, social connection)
  • Explore live-action to differentiate from category
  • Feature influencers or players discussing the game
  • Explore CG concepts to differentiate from category

Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model

To stay ahead of creative fatigue, Consumer Acquisition’s Ad Concept Model systematizes the creation process. Using our model, it’s possible to create dozens of persona-led ad concepts efficiently and effectively. Every app category or game sub-genre can leverage a unique combination of distinct emotional triggers and creative trends to attract users. Here is our Ad Concept Model for Style and Fashion games.

ad concept model fashion trend

Why trust our UA and creative recommendations?

  • Founded in 2013, we are a technology-enabled marketing services company and creative studio that has managed over $3 billion in creative and social ad spend for the world’s largest mobile apps and performance advertisers.
  • We provide end-to-end creative and user acquisition services for mobile app marketers via performance-oriented creative storytelling, integrated UA, and creative optimization.
  • We provide game-changing results driven by quantitative optimization and a relentless focus on increasing your net profit driven by client-specific, creative learning agendas.
  • Clients we’ve helped grow: Roblox, Glu Mobile, Disney, SuperHuman, Rovio, Jam City, Wooga, NBA, MLB, Ford, Sun Basket, Lion Studios, MobilityWare, and many others.

 Want better results from UA?

Email us at sales@consumeracquisition.com.

 Check out our creative work:

Creative Trends

 

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