Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising, and it has been since 2019.
Here’s why:
Expensive, third-party automated adtech platforms aren’t as much of a competitive advantage as they used to be. Facebook and Google’s platforms have integrated the best features of those tools and offered them as standard features to campaign dashboards. All that fancy adtech is now available in your ad accounts, for free. However, if you are spending over $250,000 per month or running multiple titles, an inexpensive ad management platform like AdRules can greatly simplify your workflow and increase productivity.
If you’re spending less than $250,000 per month, you may not need expensive, high-end ad jockeys. Automation features have taken a lot of the controls away from UA managers and ad accounts with smaller ad spends have become easier to manage. However, if you are spending over $250,000 per month or across several networks, you may find it helpful to look for inefficiencies in automated solutions. There are still many levers where a Rockstar UA manager will outperform an algorithm.
Those two factors alone leave creative as the most critical competitive advantage. Because you can now run powerful campaigns without adtech, and lower-spending advertisers can actually get good results, two key competitive advantages are gone. Creative is now critical.
The data backs this up. After managing over $3 billion in ad spend, we’ve seen creative prove itself over and over as the single-best driver of ROAS.
Across our portfolio of accounts, we’ve found that 75% of the ROAS gains we’ve generated for clients can be directly attributed to creative optimization. Compare that to 15% of the ROAS gained from audience expansion, and 10% of the ROAS gained from media buying tactics and optimization.
Audience expansion and media buying tactics are still fantastic tools for the Rockstar UA manager, but creative wins hands down. Creative is king.
But not all creative is created equal.
Just pumping out more and more creative variations from winning ads won’t give you the advantage you need. You need high-performance new concepts and control-beating fresh ideas. Those can be hard to find. Only 1-3 ad concepts out of 20 ever beat the control.
To know which creative assets and elements deliver big results, you need an efficient, accurate testing system. Without efficiency, it’s easy to blow your budget on testing variations that end up generating a disproportionate percent of non-converting spend.
This can be more a challenge than it might seem. Beating the control is surprisingly hard… but more about that later.
If that looks different than how you’re managing UA campaigns right now, it’s time to bring your advertising – and your entire UA program – into 2020.
Creative Tunnel Vision and How to Overcome It
Even with a world-class testing methodology and creative optimization process, your creative team needs fresh ideas. They have to be aware of all the trends in ad creative that your competitors know about and are already taking advantage of.
To increase the success rate of creative testing while eliminating creative tunnel vision, we are sharing our proprietary creative strategies for gaming genres. We’ve reviewed thousands of Facebook and Google ads to create a “visual taxonomy” of creative trends. We use those trends to generate a list of fresh creative concepts informed by competitive ads, player motivations, and advertiser performance.
As Picasso said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal!” Once you identify your competitors’ best ads, you have an endless supply of “tested” concepts. However, we have found that analyzing competitive creative, as challenging as it is, is not a UA or Design function. It appears to be a cross-disciplinary exercise.
At this particular snapshot in time, in 2020, we’re seeing trends like these that drive ad performance:
Connect the Dots
Puzzles
Noob vs Pro
Hidden Object
Influencers
Again: These trends come and go faster than fashion, and you need to be in touch with the heartbeat of online advertising across thousands of advertisers to even recognize the trends in the massive number of ads launched every day. Then, once you’ve recognized them, you need to adapt these creative trends so you can use them in your own ads. Get it all right, then test it with a super-efficient creative testing system, and you win the prize: New ad creative that beats the control.
It’s all a little bit like baseball… you’re only as good as your last hit.
Trying to keep up with trends that evolve so rapidly is hard. Trying to do it while you maintain ROAS is even harder. And expecting the same team of people to do it over and over again, week after week… is damn near impossible. Eventually, almost covertly, creative teams learn what works and what fails and then “play it safe” with their creative. They’ll default back to their greatest (and safest) hits of the past and become just a little bit too cautious about testing any out of the box ideas that might not work. We call this “creative tunnel vision”.
Unfortunately, while many out of the box ideas don’t work, some will. And one or two of those ads – those unlikely, out of the blue winners – could have delivered you a 10-40% leap in ROAS.
But if your team never develops those out of the box ideas, they’ll never test them. You’ll never know how much revenue you’ve missed.
This is why an outside team can be so helpful. And why competitive analysis should be a core skill of somebody in every creative team.
Competitive analysis has two key benefits:
It lets you peer into an almost endless library of tested concepts (tested with your competitors’ ad budgets, not yours).
It increases your success rate for your new concepts, so your entire testing program involves a lot less risk.
Think of all this shared knowledge as the “wisdom of creative crowds.” Fortunately, we have ample resources to make competitive analysis efficient. Creative research tools like AdRules are great, as are SocialPeta and AppAnnie and many others. There’s even Facebook’s ad library, which is completely free, though it only lets you see which ads your competitors are running, not how those ads have actually performed.
If that’s not enough, you can also check out our resource of over 500,000 competitive video ads from Facebook and Google AC advertisers. Just remember to check competitive benchmarks data so you can recognize what’s breakout performance and what’s just average for that genre.
Creative Trends & Recommendations
Although creative trends change fast, they also vary dramatically across genres. And so while it is good to know broad creative trends, you’ll also want to hone in on your particular niche. Of course, you’ll also want to overlay all this with actual performance data. We want to chase trends that boost ROAS, not just chase every trend that comes along.
Wordscapes, WordWhizzle Search, Word Cross Puzzle, Word Cookies!, Word Collect, Word Hunt, Word Tiles, Scrabble, Words with Friends, Word Connect, WordTrip, Word Mania
Casino/Lottery: Lucktastic, 21 Blitz, Lucky Day, Caesars Casino Official Slots, House of Fun Slots, Lucky Lottery Scratchers, Slotomania Vegas Casino Slots, Cube Cube, Worldwinner, Jackpocket, SpinToWin Slots, Dice with Ellen
Shopping/Cash Back: Inbox Dollars, IBotta, Receipt Hog, Shopkick, Surveys on the Go, Swagbucks
Beach Bum: Rummy Royale, Gin Rummy Plus, Gin Rummy Best Card Game, Gin Rummy Master, Spades, Spades Card Classic, Solitaire Deluxe 2, Solitaire Tri Peaks, Spades Plus, Mobilityware Solitaire, Fairway Solitaire, WSOP, Hearts World Tour, Klondike Farm Adventure, 21 Blitz, Bingo Town, Bingo Blast, Hearts Card Game Classic, Solitaire Time Warp, Grand Gin Rummy, Solitaire Epic Adventures, Bingo Pop, House of Blackjack 21, Bingo Bash, Wild Classic Slots, Poker Face Live Texas Hold Em, Zynga Poker, Blackjackist, Backgammon Live, Dominoes Gold, MobilityWare Solitaire, Flip & Dive 3D, Flip Dunk, NBA 2K Mobile, Chess Royale
App Explainers: Videos explaining how the game or app works with users/players, screenshots/gameplay, and rewards. (Caesars Casino, Gin Rummy Plus, Inbox Dollars)
Real Winners/Testimonials: Videos featuring real winners and amounts they’ve won. (Lucktastic, Lucky Day)
Newsreel: Videos showing newsworthiness of the app based on real or fake news coverage. (House of Fun Slots, Jackpocket)
Casino Lifestyle: Videos with colorful slot machine graphics and/or big band music. (Caesars Casino, Gin Rummy Plus, WSOP, Slotomania, Spades Plus, Spin to Win Slots)
Community: Videos featuring gameplay between players, or texts between players regarding the app itself. (IBotta, WorldWinner)
Winners/Testimonials: Videos featuring winning moments and real winner testimonial. (Skillz)
Creative Trends:
Game Overviews/Gameplay: Overview of how to play, game elements, and gameplay, sometimes with a picker manipulating cards. (Grand Gin Rummy, Spades Plus, many others)
Player Focused: Player versus player with player avatars or live video inset, often focused on the range of types of players. (Poker Face, Blackjackist, many others)
COVID-Related: Videos with messaging built around boredom, being stuck at home, or not connecting with friends. (Gin Rummy: The Best Card Game)
Relax/Train Your Brain: Messaging centered on the way the game sharpens your mental skills and/or relaxes you. (WSOP, MobilityWare Solitaire)
Player Testimonial: Positive reviews or testimonials regarding the game. (21 Blitz)
Heat of the Moment: Hyper-focused moments in the game when a big decision will make or break you. (WSOP)
Humorous Voice Over: Mock announcer(s) or player voice-over, used over gameplay. (WSOP, Flip & Dive 3D, Flip Dunk)
Real Game Footage: Live footage intercut with gameplay. (Flip Dunk, WSOP, Zynga)
Player Motivations:
Demographics: As of the last estimate, there were currently over 170 million active social casino gamers worldwide, with millions of players playing on any given day (Martin, 2014). To put this in perspective, social casino gamers outnumber online gamblers 4:1. Perhaps surprisingly, the average social casino gamer is a 40-year-old middle-class woman and women make up over 2/3rds of social casino gamers (Superdata, 2016). That said, social casino games seem to be a popular form of entertainment across all stages of life, including among adolescents and young adults (Kim, Wohl, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2016, 2017; Griffiths & Wood, 2007).
Motivations: Motivations for playing social casino games are likely similar to motivations for engaging in gambling (Wohl, Salmon, Hollingshead, & Kim, in press). That is, people may play for fun and entertainment, to pass the time, to relax, relieve boredom, or to distract themselves from negative emotions. Additionally, a portion of gamers may be attracted to the social feature of social casino games, such as seeing their scores on leaderboards and sharing their achievements on Facebook. Yet, some social casino gamers may use free-to-play simulated gambling games to practice their ‘skills’ before playing for real money gambling.
Social Casino Games: Current Evidence & Future Directions, Hyoun S. Kim, University of Calgary
Gaming Psychology of Near Misses:
“…Near-misses have some intrinsic appeal for our reward circuitry, tricking those brain cells into believing that we won even though we actually lost… This suggests that, from the perspective of our dopamine neurons, near misses are virtually indistinguishable from actual wins. Both forms of feedback tickle our reward circuitry, which is why Vegas invests in games and algorithms that are full of close calls. For a casino, the beauty of a near miss is clear: Although we’ve lost money it feels as if we won.”
The Near-Miss Effect, Jonah Lehrer, Wired Magazine, 3.28.11
Although no studies have investigated the ramifications of Candy Crush near-misses, one can make reasonable inferences based on near-misses in other scenarios. In slot machine games, near-miss outcomes encourage the urge to continue to play despite the absence of reward (Côté et al. 2003; Kassinove and Scharev, 2001; Clark et al. 2009; Billieux et al. 2012). In general, the idea of falling just short of a big win appears to facilitate players wanting to continue with the game in the belief that practice makes better, or more spins will eventually lead to success (Kassinove and Schare 2001).
The Candy Crush Sweet Tooth: How Near Misses in Candy Crush Increase Frustration, and the Urge to Continue Gameplay: Journal of Gambling Studies, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp 599–61
Concept: App Explainer
Explainer videos showcasing how the game works and how players win money
Legitimizes app while demonstrating how you win
Demystifies the game, lowering barriers to play
Demonstrates how the game works
Competitive Landscape/Share of Voice
Caesars Casino, Gin Rummy Plus, Solitaire Deluxe 2, Dice with Ellen, Inbox Dollars, Shopkick, many more
Dosh: 76.8% Share of Voice
Gin Rummy Plus: 70% Share of Voice
Concept: Spokesperson
Use a spokesperson/actor to appear in a variety of videos
App demonstration/overview
Interviews with real winners
Aspirational/optimistic stories
Competitive Landscape
This has been used by established sweepstakes firms, e.g. Publisher’s Clearing House – to their advantage
Concept: News Coverage/PR
Create videos that leverage any news coverage of the app
Portrays the app as a legitimate way to win money and by playing card games
Removes barriers new players might have to download and play, e.g. fear it’s a scam
Provides social proof that card games are bonafide
Competitive Landscape/Share of Voice
House of Fun Slots, Jackpocket
House of Fun Slots: 7% SOV
Jackpocket: 21% SOV
Concept: Card Game Influencers
Create videos featuring influencers such as Mikey Slice and PickTooth
Attracts players while legitimizing the game
Demonstrates you can win money by playing
Aligned with eSports trend and builds on the success of poker TV broadcasts and programming
Competitive Landscape
Seen more in games featured on live game streaming sites like Steam and Twitch
Concept: E-Sports Cards
Portray real winners as athletes
Static images of winners in athletic/heroic poses
Graphics like baseball cards with stats and nicknames
Leverages skill of card game players, downplaying luck
Aspirational
Funny but tongue-in-cheek
Aligned with eSports trend and builds on the success of poker TV broadcasts and programming
Competitive Landscape
Twist on the “Real Winner” creative featured in games like Solitaire Cube, Lucktastic and Lucky Day
Concept: Competitive
Juxtapose real money card games and social card games
Why play regular solitaire when you could win money just for playing?
Short videos compare and contrast screenshots of “boring” card games with winners and excitement of real money card games
Other videos could juxtapose dull-looking stock imagery of people with “Plays Solitaire” winners/stars
Concept: Winners/Testimonials
Real (or not) winner testimonials perform well across all sub-genres. Testimonial videos tend to run long, so consider featuring them on your website and on YouTube
Create still imagery ads featuring female winners
Consider opening shots of cash with motion instead of static imagery
Create videos combining winners and gameplay
TikTok style videos of female players playing/winning
Create short videos that better utilize the emotion of the winner testimonials
Create winner reels that leverage multiple winner testimonials into one video
Concept: Game Explainer
Create videos that explain how to play Rummy Stars and Spades Royale:
Showcases superior game graphics
Demystifies the game, lowering barriers to play
Demonstrates how the game works
Engages potential players
1 concept currently in production
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Gin Rummy The Best Card Game: 92% SOV
Grand Gin Rummy: 89% SOV
Spades Plus: 100% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested in Social & Mastery motivation models
Concept: Player Types
Showcase the different types of players in Rummy & Spades
Can use “real” players (stock footage)
Types such as “The Risk Taker,” “The Slow & Steady,” “The Trash Talker”
Combine with gameplay scenarios
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Zynga Poker: 59% SOV
Poker Face: 100% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested in Social motivation model
Concept: Character Countdown
Feature avatars while giving them a backstory and/or special talents:
Can adapt to “types of players” as well
Showcases animation style
Can use humorous voice over
Player backgrounds further game narrative
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested in Achievement motivation model (power & completion) and narrative
Concept: Game Benefits
Create videos that leverage the benefits of playing Gin Rummy & Spades:
Scientific evidence that card-playing relieves stress, boosts the immune system, improves motor skills, and increases memory function and socialization
Targets an older demographic (50+)
Competitor/Share of Voice:
WSOP: 24% SOV
MobilityWare Solitaire 31% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested in relaxation and enjoyable self-improvement/self-preservation (a game with benefits)
Concept: Player Testimonial
Create videos featuring influencers or real players who enjoy Gin Rummy Stars & Spades Royale:
Attracts players while legitimizing the game
Demystifies the game, lowering barriers to play
Could be a combination of gameplay and remote/zoom interview or supers
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Dominoes Gold: 87% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested in Social motivation model
Concept: Heat of the Moment
Dramatize the make or break moments in a game:
Engage players by presenting them with options to win
Demonstrates strategy and tension of gameplay
Provides lesson in how the game works
Competitor/Share of Voice:
WSOP: 16% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested in Social & Mastery motivation models
Concept: Play by Play
If you’ve ever watched WSOP, you’ve heard the announcers doing play by play (and a lot of random conversation). Let’s bring that “announcer” feel to Rummy Stars & Spades Royale:
Adds humor to the games
Makes games feel “larger than life”
Gives the games a more sport-like feel, rather than the older demographic it can sometimes be associated with
Competitor/Share of Voice:
WSOP: 6% SOV
Flip & Dive 3D: 89% SOV
Flip Dunk: 90% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players interested primarily in fun & entertainment
Concept: Avatar Lives
What do these avatars do when they’re not playing cards? Let’s put them in funny 2D situations (in a car, in a restaurant) where we can utilize their shape and engage them in mundane conversations
Breakthrough for this category where there is almost exclusively gameplay
Showcases visual style of the game
Can combine with gameplay
Competitor/Share of Voice:
N/A
Player Motivations:
Targets players who will be attracted to visual style and narrative
Concept: Near Misses
Create videos of gameplay in which near wins happen repeatedly and lead to FAILS:
Waiting for Gin card when other player puts down the card you need
Going down and getting undercut by a point
Can feature voice-over or supers underscoring frustration
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Multiple games using this technique but it has not been used in social casino games; the missed opportunity has given the psychology of near misses
Player Motivations:
Capitalize on near-misses motivating players to keep playing as much or more than wins
Concept: Slams/Music Video
Use R&B or other genres to create game art-based music videos:
Syncopate music to cards getting slammed down in gameplay
Competitor/Share of Voice:
AFK Arena: 78% SOV
King’s Raid: 25% SOV
Tap Sports Baseball: 16% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets players who will be attracted to music and visual style
Social Casino App Trends
Competitive Analysis
Competitors: DoubleDown Casino, Jackpot Party Casino, Slotomania, House of Fun, Goldfish Casino, Heart of Vegas, Hot Shot Casino, Hit it Rich!, DoubleU Casino, Quick Hit Slots, Slotomania, 21 Blitz, GSN Casino, Caesars Casino Slots, Lucky Lottery Scratchers, Worldwinner, WSOP, SpinToWin Slots, Jackpocket, Huuuge Casino, Wizard of Oz Slots, Big Fish Casino, Cashman Casino, Pop! Slots, Bingo Blitz, Coin Master, FaFaFa Gold Slots Casino, June’s Journey, Cradle of Empires
Top Solitaire Competitors: Coin Kings, Coin Runner, VeryDice, Lucktastic Match, Crazy Coin Pusher, Coin Master, Lucky Day, Piggy Go – Clash of Coin, Bricks n Balls, Bricks Ball Crusher, Casino Coin Pusher, Pirate Kings, Disney Emoji Blitz, Match to Win, Wordscapes.
Game Overview/Gameplay: Gameplay with an overview of the game, levels, and rewards. (Big Fish Casino, Jackpocket, many more)
Bonus: Gameplay focused on offering free rewards, coins, and bonuses when you sign up. (Cashman, Double Down, many more)
Players/Gameplay: Split screens showing players enjoying the game with gameplay. (21 Blitz, WSOP, Heart of Vegas)
News Report: Real or fake news clips showing the importance of the game. (Jackpocket, Casino Slots)
Celebs: Celeb spokespersons advocating for the game. (Coin Master, Jackpocket)
Puzzles/Hidden Object: Brain teasers designed to engage viewers. (June’s Journey, Cradle of Empires)
Mortised Gameplay: Gameplay shown with backgrounds and licensed characters. (Wizard of Oz, Game of Thrones, Hit it Rich!, Hot Shot Casino)
Seasonal: Gameplay with seasonal additions reflecting Halloween, Christmas, and other holidays. (Huuuge Casino, Quick Hit Casino, lotomania, many more)
Fake Text: Two characters or “real players” interacting via text, discussing games, or daring them to play.
Split screens: Noob vs. Pro, Winner vs. Loser, Comparing screens with highlighted part of the screen, explosive elements.
Players with UI elements: Showing “players” using elements of the game in real-life situations (Game buttons, coins, interacting with characters).
Coin, Money, and Gift Cards showers: Big wins are seen often with luring monetary elements and prizes/ overtaking the screen or as transitions.
Celebrities: Games that monetize well rely on celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and The Kardashians to be part of their advertising efforts.
Real footage background + UI: Using the original game UI while exploring soothing, nature-based backgrounds as the perfect game backdrop.
Spinning wins with prizes: Faux Spinning wheel with Prizes and mascot encouraging the user to spin.
Connect the dots: A drawing outline is presented and the final picture is revealed at the end, connecting drawing to gameplay.
Color by numbers/Draw: Replicating old coloring books, a simple drawing is colored one color at a time until character or game scene is revealed.
Matching Cards: Faux matching/pairing game where two correct cards reveal a prize or game feature.
Save the character: Obstacle, a puzzle-like concept where I character in peril needs to be saved.
I Spy/Found the Object: Find one or several objects that are directly associated with the game.
Relaxing Themes: Adding a touch of escapism and relaxation to an otherwise challenge-based game
Current events: COVID-19 and Tiger King themes dominating the space currently.
Player Motivations
Demographics: As of the last estimate, there were currently over 170 million active social casino gamers worldwide, with millions of players playing on any given day (Martin, 2014). To put this in perspective, social casino gamers outnumber online gamblers 4:1. Perhaps surprisingly, the average social casino gamer is a 40-year-old middle-class woman and women make up over 2/3rds of social casino gamers (Superdata, 2016). That said, social casino games seem to be a popular form of entertainment across all stages of life, including among adolescents and young adults (Kim, Wohl, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2016, 2017; Griffiths & Wood, 2007).
Motivations: Motivations for playing social casino games are likely similar to motivations for engaging in gambling (Wohl, Salmon, Hollingshead, & Kim, in press). That is, people may play for fun and entertainment, to pass the time, to relax, relieve boredom or to distract themselves from negative emotions. Additionally, a portion of gamers may be attracted to the social feature of social casino games, such as seeing their scores on leaderboards and sharing their achievements on Facebook. Yet, some social casino gamers may use free-to-play simulated gambling games to practice their ‘skills’ before playing for real money gambling.
Social Casino Games: Current Evidence & Future Directions, Hyoun S. Kim, University of Calgary
Gaming Psychology of Near Misses
“…Near-misses have some intrinsic appeal for our reward circuitry, tricking those brain cells into believing that we won even though we actually lost… This suggests that, from the perspective of our dopamine neurons, near misses are virtually indistinguishable from actual wins. Both forms of feedback tickle our reward circuitry, which is why Vegas invests in games and algorithms that are full of close calls. For a casino, the beauty of a near miss is clear: Although we’ve lost money if it feels as if we won.
The Near-Miss Effect, Jonah Lehrer, Wired Magazine, 3.28.11
Although no studies have investigated the ramifications of Candy Crush near-misses, one can make reasonable inferences based on near-misses in other scenarios. In slot machine games, near-miss outcomes encourage the urge to continue to play despite the absence of reward (Côté et al. 2003; Kassinove and Scharev, 2001; Clark et al. 2009; Billieux et al. 2012). In general, the idea of falling just short of a big win appears to facilitate players wanting to continue with the game in the belief that practice makes better, or more spins will eventually lead to success (Kassinove and Schare 2001).
The Candy Crush Sweet Tooth: How Near Misses in Candy Crush Increase Frustration, and the Urge to Continue Gameplay: Journal of Gambling Studies, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp 599–61
Concept: Faux Hidden Items/Puzzle Gameplay
Faux “relaxing” games interrupted by exciting gameplay:
Begin video with slower games like hidden items or word games, with the header: “Need something more exciting?”
Slot gameplay bursts into the frame, obliterating slower game and showing exciting slot gameplay
Slot gameplay shows jackpots, wins, and bonuses
Competitor/Share of Voice:
N/A
Player Motivations:
Targets women with “relaxing” ad; women represent 2/3rds of all social casino players
Concept: Mortised Gameplay
Feature slot gameplay in mortised environments that take advantage of the beautiful game animation:
Showcases game graphics
More eye-catching than simple gameplay
Positions game as premium “Vegas-type” slot play
“Wall of Wilds!”, “10x”, etc
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Goldfish Casino: 9% SOV
Hit it Rich!: 73% SOV
Wizard of Oz Slots: 7% SOV
Hot Shot Casino: 14% SOV
Player Motivations:
Engages players looking to distract themselves from negative emotions or to relax
Concept: Comedic Voice Over
Videos that juxtapose slot play with a comedic voiceover:
Showcases slot play and graphics
Mimics player dialogue
Uses subtitles
Competitor/Share of Voice:
21 Blitz: 56% SOV
Rise of Kingdoms: 72% SOV
Questland: 8% SOV
Player Motivations:
Mirrors social nature of slot play
Concept: Picker Jackpot
Leverage success from Match 3 games test simple pickers to game situations, such as picking coins to match 3 Fu Babies:
Increase engagement with viewers
Showcases slot play, game graphics, and characters
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Cradle of Empires: 16% SOV
Player Motivations:
Engage players looking fun & entertainment
Concept: Near Misses
Create videos of slot gameplay in which near misses happen repeatedly:
Slot wheels should tease an almost win
FAIL or ALMOST supered on near-miss slot play
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Multiple games using this technique, but it has not been used in social casino games; missed opportunity given the psychology of near misses
Player Motivations:
Capitalize on near misses motivating players to keep playing as much or more than wins
Concept: Seasonal
Create new versions of the game incorporating seasonal graphics:
Christmas, Halloween, Chinese New Year
Attract players with refreshed cr›eative
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Quick Hit Slots: 5% SOV
Heart of Vegas: 7% SOV
Slotomania: 9% SOV
Huuuge Casino: 6% SOV
Player Motivations:
Target players looking for fun & entertainment during seasonal holidays
Concept: News Report
Videos that showcase slots in a “fake news” report:
Stands out in a sea of gameplay ads
Good for launching new episodes/chapters
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Jackpocket: 16% SOV
Casino Slots: 7% SOV
Player Motivations:
Engage players looking fun & entertainment
Concept: Real Player/Gameplay
Create iterations of current gameplay/real winner ads by adding commentary/voice-over:
Comedic
Adds another element of entertainment
Competitor/Share of Voice:
21 Blitz: 56% SOV
Rise of Kingdoms: 72% SOV
Questland: 8% SOV
Player Motivations:
Mirrors social nature of slot play
Concept: Connect the Dots
Fun way to introduce the game to new users
Starting with an undefined shape
Hand slowly begins to connect the dots
Figure is revealed – it’s a bear!
Character comes to life and transitions to gameplay
CTA
Options
Challenging header
Relaxing header
Competitor/Share of voice
32%
Concept: Color by Number
Fun way to introduce the game to new users
Starting with a colorless drawing of known character
Hand selects colors to paint the image
Figure is colored
Character comes to life and transitions to gameplay
CTA
Options
Challenging header
Relaxing header
Competitor/Share of voice
24%
Concept: Matching Cards
New way to introduce the game to new users
Starting with an inciting question
Hand tries to find the right pairs
Right pair is found
It’s a match + gameplay
CTA
Options
Challenging header
Relaxing header
Competitor/Share of voice
26%
Concept: Save the Character
New way to introduce the game to new users
Starting with a recognizable game character
Character needs to be rescued
User is given several options to do so
After several attempts character is free
CTA
Options
Fail ending
Mysterious ending
Competitor/Share of voice
43%
Concept: Find the Object
Introduce the game to new users in a whimsical way
Find the purple bear
Locate the watch
Where is the giant coin
Find 5 things
Format options
Static carousel
Video with timer
Competitor/Share of voice
63%
Concept: Relaxing Themes
Alluring new users that are looking to escape
Including a relaxing header
Use soothing backgrounds but keep game UI
Moving Nature-scapes
Moving shapes
Static images
Insertion of users relaxing at home while playing
Soothing music and effects
Calming CTA
“Sit back and relax”
Competitor/Share of voice
40%
Concept: Mystery Winner
Carousel emphasizing Amazon Sweepstakes
Each card shows a single winner
Copy simply reads
He/she won!
Last card shows a silhouette with a question mark
Copy reads
Will you be next?
Amazon Gift Card next to it
Competitor/Share of voice
26%
Casual RPG Trends
Competitive Analysis
Competitors: AFK Arena, Idle Heroes, Tap Titans 2, Hero Wars, Taptap Heroes, Empires & Puzzles: Epic Match 3, Legendary: Game of Heroes, Almost a Hero, Clicker Heroes, Ulala: Idle Adventure, Hopeless Heroes: Tap Attack, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, Rise of Kingdoms, Questland: Hero Quest, Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, Rise of Kingdoms, Questland: Hero Quest, Clash of Clans, FTL, Dead Ahead: Zombie Warfare, The Elder Scrolls: Legends CCG, Stormbound, Gods of Olympus, TerraGenesis: Star Settlers, Nova Empire: Space Commander, Bit City, AdVenture Communist, Godus, The Battle Cats, South Park: Phone Destroyer, Space Arena: Build & Fight MMO, Fire Emblem Heroes, Dungeon, Inc: Idle Clicker, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Star Trek Fleet Command, Dawn of Titans, DomiNations, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, Craft Warriors, Mushroom Wars 2, Armello, Deep Town: Idle Miner Factory, Epic Battle Simulator 2, Zombie Gunship Survival, Hades’ Star, Prison Architect, King’s Raid, Hustle Castle, Fallout Shelter, Tiny Tower, Second Galaxy
Influencers: Gameplay featuring influencers and in-game commentary. (Ulala)
Game Overview/Gameplay: Gameplay with an overview of the game, levels and rewards. (AFK Arena, Idle Heroes, many more)
Countdowns: Characters, weapons or powers listed in order of their “awesomeness.” (AFK Arena, Rise of Kingdoms)
Puzzles: Characters featured in puzzles that are not reflective of gameplay. (Hero Wars)
Humor: Comedic voiceover juxtaposed against heroic gameplay/character footage, or dialogue between players. (Rise of Kingdoms, Questland)
Music Influenced: Aggressive metal music combined with gameplay, or as a music video. (AFK Arena, King’s Raid)
Game Trailer: Gameplay with an overview of game graphics, levels and rewards. (AFK Arena, Star Trek Fleet Command, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, many others)
Characters & Countdowns: Characters, weapons or powers listed in order of their “awesomeness.” (AFK Arena, Rise of Kingdoms)
Puzzles: Characters featured in puzzles that are not reflective of gameplay. (Hustle Castle)
Humor: Comedic voiceover juxtaposed against heroic gameplay/character footage, or dialogue between players. (Rise of Kingdoms, Questland)
Music Influenced: Aggressive metal music combined with gameplay, or as a music video. (AFK Arena, King’s Raid)
Player Focused: Gameplay that features inset player imagery and reactions or player interviews. (Space Arena, Mushroom Wars, DomiNations)
Noob vs. Pro/Level Focused: Gameplay that shows experienced versus new players, often based on level completion. (Space Arena)
Player Motivations
Idle Clicker gamers are not primarily casual gamers. In fact, they have a perfectly average core gamer profile… most are driven by Completion (collect stars, complete all missions) and Power (leveling up, getting powerful gear), and least driven by Excitement (fast-paced, thrilling, surprises) and Fantasy (being someone else, somewhere else).
– Nick Yee,
The Surprising Profile of Idle Clicker Gamers
Quantic Foundry
Concept: Influencer Gameplay
Create short videos featuring influencers playing game:
Attracts players while legitimizing the game
Demonstrates how to win stages and rewards
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Ulala: Idle Adventure: 51% SOV
Concept: Character Countdown
Feature characters in a countdown of best characters, powers and/or weapons:
Showcases animation style, range of characters and/or powers
Humorous voice over
Generates higher engagement (curiosity over rankings)
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV
Concept: Character Puzzles
Create videos featuring characters in brain-teasing puzzles:
Engages “completion” and “power” motivators for Idle RPG players
Shows characters in familiar environment
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Hero Wars: 100% SOV
Concept: Comedic Voice Over
Create videos that juxtapose gameplay with comedic voice over.
Showcases gameplay and/or characters
Mimics gamer dialogue
Uses subtitles
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Rise of Kingdoms: 72% SOV
Questland: 8% SOV
Concept: Choices
Add simple pickers to characters and game situations:
Increase engagement with viewers
Competitor/Share of Voice:
AFK Arena: 6% SOV
King’s Raid: 4% SOV
Concept: Music Based
Use of Heavy Metal or other genres to create game trailers and game art-based music videos
License Steve Liberace metal song “Crush Them All” to create music video featuring game characters
Create gameplay videos featuring different types of music to test.
Competitor/Share of Voice:
AFK Arena: 78% SOV
King’s Raid: 25% SOV
Concept: Game Overview/Trailer
Create new edits of game trailer:
Utilize new music (test different genres)
Utilize comedic voice over
Concept: PVP Gameplay
Augment gameplay with inset view of players experiencing the game
Attracts players while legitimizing the game
Demonstrates how to win stages and rewards
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Mushroom Wars 2: 6% SOV
Star Arena: 37% SOV
Concept: Noob vs. Pro
Create split-screen videos showing amateur versus experienced gameplay:
Highlights “motivation through frustration”
Demonstrates how to win stages and rewards
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Space Arena: 20% SOV
Concept: Player Interviews
Create videos that combine gameplay with interviews of actual game players and/or influencers:
Attracts players while legitimizing the game
Creates PR buzz around the game
Consider doing remote interviews while gaming conferences are on hiatus
Competitor/Share of Voice:
DomiNations: 23% SOV
Concept: Character Countdown
Feature characters from specific crews (Epic, Legendary, Common, etc) in a countdown of best characters, powers and/or weapons:
Showcases animation style, range of characters and/or powers
Can feature over the top voice over
Generates higher engagement (curiosity over rankings)
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV
Concept: Character Puzzles
Create videos featuring Pixel Starships characters in brain-teasing puzzles:
Engages “completion” motivator for strategy players
Could be accomplished with minimum animation with word-based puzzles on game background, engaging sci-fi fans
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Hustle Castle 47% SOV
Concept: Female-Centered Ads
Create ads that utilize more female characters and storylines:
Attracts more female gamers
Can be accomplished in character countdowns, puzzles
Competitor/Share of Voice:
N/A
Create ads that utilize more female characters and storylines:
Attracts more female gamers
Can be accomplished in character countdowns, puzzles
Competitor/Share of Voice:
N/A
Concept: Pixel Art
Utilize game graphics to create “pixel art”
Highlights beauty of pixel games
Create kaleidoscope videos by mirroring quadrants
Visually arresting
Competitor/Share of Voice:
N/A
Entertainment App Trends
Competitive Analysis
Top Competitors: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Tubi, Philo, Pluto TV, Starz, Sling, Crackle, Paramount Network, SyFy, BET Now, Shudder, Vudu
Movie Trailers: Videos with movie trailer style content, featuring multiple titles. (Vudu, Pluto, Shudder, Netflix, Sundance Now)
Promoting Exclusive Content: Videos or images promoting exclusive or original content. (Hulu, Vudu, Netflix, Starz, BET, Crackle)
Special Offers: Videos or images with special offers. (Netflix, Hulu, Philo, Starz)
Competitive: Videos or images comparing prices to competitors or cable. (Sling, Hulu,Pluto)
Movie Poster: Images leveraging a singular movie or TV series to promote the service. (Vudu,Hulu)
Genre content: Video or images promoting a specific genre (sports, horror, etc.). (Sling, Shudder, Hulu)
Shared Passion: Videos or images that engage passion communities (e.g., Star Wars fans) with quizzes, trivia, and profiles. (SyFy)
User Motivations:
What are you looking for in an Entertainment app?
Something to put me in a positive mood
Background noise until I finally fall asleep
Escape the commute
Relax and enjoy some “Me Time”
Looking for a good action/family movie
Reality-TV
Something short before work
“Anything to help me wind down from work”
Why do you open an Entertainment up?
Unwind/settle in
Relax and escape
A quick laugh
What need are you fulfilling when using an entertainment app?
Eliminate boredom
I need my time to not worry about anything and just relax, catch my breath, be lazy and pamper myself
Elevate mood + aid sleep
Laugh and have good thoughts before going to bed
Access to content
Fulfills some nostalgia of shows I used to watch with family or siblings growing up
Catch up on new/old movies I haven’t seen before
I am able to select from a huge pool of movies and shows and I am not limited to what I can and can’t watch
Find movies I might have a hard time finding on another service
Concept: “Only on…” / “Not on…”
Focus on exclusive content. User profiles suggest hard-to-find content is a big reason for using multiple entertainment apps
“Only on…”, “Only free on”, “Not on <competitor>…” are all appropriate messages.
Images
Leverage specific exclusive titles, especially if those that are free to watch.
Feature hard-to-find titles that have remakes/sequels that competitors are hyping, e.g. Tubi promoting the original “Dolemite” when Netflix went all out on “Dolemite is My Name”.
Video trailers
00:15-00:30 second trailers that feature a combination of scenes and dialogue from multiple movies and alongside “Only on…” or “Not on…” messaging.
Insight
Given the popularity of Netflix and Disney+, it may be advisable to target them as competitors
Concept: Genre-Focused Creative
Evolve current movie poster creative to focus on genres and seasonal titles, from Black cinema and Nostalgia TV to Academy Award-winners and seasonal/holidays
Users see specific genres not necessarily available on category leaders such as Netflix & Hulu.
Image ads include
Awards season focus on Oscar-winning titles, e.g. Chinatown. Movie poster or multiple titles.
00:15-00:30 second trailers hype specific genres and seasonal offerings with scenes/dialogue from multiple titles.
Concept: Creativo Centrado en el Género
Evolve current movie poster creative to focus on genres and seasonal titles in video and image creative, specifically targeting Spanish-speaking audiences
Memes with captions in Spanish.
Genres focused on Spanish-speakers, e.g.:
Para niños y familias
Peliculas en Español
Telenovelas y series
Concept: Shared Passion
User profiles suggest a love of nostalgia, old movies, and TV series. Let’s reward that passion by using memes, quizzes and trivia to engage film buffs, movie fans, and TV addicts
Expand memes to use scenes from nostalgic TV and film.
Simple quizzes about old and new films and TV shows:
What actor starred in Greatest American Hero?
Random trivia about new and old genres:
John Travolta turned down the role of Forrest Gump. (Photoshop his face into iconic Tom Hanks pic?)
Combine with competitive “Only on…” or “Not on…” messaging.
Insight
SyFy and Shudder are currently running similar campaigns.
Concept: YouTube Pre-Roll with Google Vogon
TV and movie fans regularly look up scenes on YouTube. Create pre-roll ads that target the specific genre they are looking at, with Google Vogon ads
Example of how Campbell’s Soup utilized technology here
00:10 second pre-roll ads target range of categories, with emphasis on competitive messaging:
Horror: “Scared of costly subscriptions? Stream your favorite horror movies for free with <app>.”
Sports: “Don’t pay to play with <competitor>. Stream great sports movies for free with <app>.”
Kids Shows: “Put the money you’d spend on <competitor> in the kids’ college fund. Stream for free with <app>.”
Puzzle and Hidden Object Games Trends
Competitive Analysis
Puzzle game competitors: June’s Journey, CC Friends Saga, CC Soda Saga, Gardenscapes, Homescapes, Toon Blast, Toy Blast, Cookie Jam, Sweet Escapes, Lily’s Garden, Funky Bay, Best Fiends, Lost Island, Manor Cafe, Resort Hotel, Passion Puzzle, Design Home Express, Meow Match, Diner Dash, Pet Rescue Saga, Choices, My Home: Design Dreams, My Cafe, Word Villas, Vineyard Valley, Township
Hidden Object game competitors: Pearl’s Peril, Criminal Case, The Secret Society, Agent Alice, CSI Hidden Crimes, Diggy’s Adventure, Hidden City, Letters from Nowhere, Murder in the Alps, Mysteries of the Past, Tropicats, Adam Wolfe: Dark Detective Mystery Game, Adventure Escape, Hidden Objects Mystery Society, Pearl’s Peril, Seeker’s Notes: Hidden Mystery, Bubble Island, Survivors: the Quest, Temple Run 2, Township: Farm & City Building, Horse Haven World Adventures, Klondike Adventures, Diamond Dash, Stand O’Food, Virtual City Playground, Just Dance Controller, Just Dance Now, Trials Frontier, Ubisoft Club, Cage & Aviary Birds, Clipomatic, Colorfy, Color Your Call, Galatea, Murder Minute, Paint Color, Quiz Crazy, Shudder, Tarot
Create simple puzzles that “save” your main character – targeting both solitary story-centric and self-challenge players (Homescapes)
Tell character-centered stories with voice over and/or supers (Galatea, Dream Home Solitaire)
Concept: Gameplay Methods
Combine live action people playing the game (relaxed, escapist) with gameplay (Klondike, Pearl’s Peril)
Combine gameplay with leaderboards (Tropicats)
Concept: “Find the Cat”
Incorporate saturated interiors with food with “Find the Cat” challenge or other short headers/items:
“Select the Gun”
“Where is the Dog”
“Locate the Rope”
“Find 5 Cats”
“Find 5 Oranges”
(Criminal Case, June’s Journey)
Consider using cinemagraphs like the bar scene (Pearl’s Peril, Hidden City)
Concept: Timed hidden object challenges
Try different timed hidden object games that still incorporate a story, e.g. “Save Your Patient”. (Hidden City, Pearl’s Peril)
Match 3 Puzzle Games Trends
Competitive Analysis
Competitors: Fishdom, Gardenscapes, Homescapes, Mansion Blast, Home Design Challenge, Wildscapes, Slices, Township Farm & City, Wordscapes, Clockmaker, Meow Match, Home Design Makeover, Jelly Juice, Lily’s Garden, My Home, Paint by Number, Sweet Road, Vineyard Valley, Brain Out, Candy Crush, Cookie Jam, Disney Magic Kingdoms, Fashion Blogger, Fashion Boutique, Museum Story, Sweet Escapes, Tropicats, Tropic Trouble, Choices, Dragon City, Episode, Hustle Castle, Lost Island, Merge Dragons!, Party in My Dorm, The Simpsons, Covet Fashion, Klondike, Minecraft, Clash of Clans, June’s Journey, Panda Pop, Manor Cafe, Home Blast, Hidden Resort
Top Competitors: Match 3: Toon Blast, Farm Heroes Saga, Bubble Witch 3 Saga, Toy Blast, Candy Smash Mania, Jewel Crush, Jewel Fever, Candy Blast Mania, Candy Pop, Sugar Blast, Cookie Jam Top Match 3 game.
Top Competitors: Building: Matchington Mansion, Homescapes, Gardenscapes, Township, Fishdom, Coin Master
Puzzles: Locks & Gates and other puzzles that challenge users to free a game character (Fishdom, Gardenscapes, Homescapes, many others)
Picker Videos: 3D or 2D situations with picker, often resulting in disastrous fails. (Township, Sweet Escapes, Manor Cafe, many others)
Hidden Items: Videos or still images that contain hidden items the user must find. (Meow Match, June’s Journey)
Design Challenges: Tasks that must be completed within allotted time or budget. (Design Home, Sweet Escapes)
Real Player Gameplay: Split screen featuring a player and gameplay. (Jelly Juice)
Female-Centered Vignettes: Women overcoming adversity and men behaving badly in soap opera situations. (Lily’s Garden, Choices, Vineyard Valley, My Home: Design Dreams)
Choose Your Adventure: Series of situations where you choose between two actions. (Choices, Episode)
Game Controller: Picker that mimics a game console, guiding character through levels. (Candy Crush, Hustle Castle)
Creative Trends (Cont.)
Lifestyle and Gameplay: Showing lifestyle footage and gameplay that matches image (Toon Blast, Farm Hero Saga)
Gameplay + Side Character: Gameplay elements leaving the screen to interact with character (Candy Blast Mania, Candy Smash Mania, )
Mixing gameplay with narrative: Storybook narration, Coloring book style (Bubble Witch Saga))
3D effect: Characters “floating” above gameplay (Farm Heroes Saga)
Funny but still cute: Evil character getting hit by gameplay, mentioning how you can’t get weight by playing candy games (Candy Blast Mania, Bubble Witch Saga))
Incorporating game to solve a problem: Using gameplay to find a key to escape a room (Candy Smash mania)
Player Motivations
Sample motivations for playing:
Stress relief
Complete levels or beat score
Killing time
Escape from “real life”
Socialize with friends, family or other people
The Most Common Primary Motivations for Women are Completion and Fantasy For
Completion is the Most Low-Risk, High-Reward Motivation
Quantic Foundry, 7 Things We Learned About Primary Gaming Motivations From Over 250,000 Gamers
Game Player Motivations
Concept: Faux Hidden Items Gameplay
Faux “relaxing” games are interrupted by exciting interactions/fights between characters:
Begin video with slower games like hidden items or word games, with a header like “Find 5 Bats”
Characters breakthrough painting as others chase with a (baseball) bat.
Competitor/Share of Voice:
N/A
Player Motivations:
Decorative/creative opening could attract puzzle players
Concept: Locks and Gates
New 2D animation style
Try characters in “How to Loot?” where a lock releases sweets or allows her to escape
Test “What’s Next?” vs FAIL – to appeal to new users
Leverage “dumb ways to die” assets
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Gardenscapes: 96%
Homescapes: 36%
Player Motivations:
Engage puzzle players who want to complete challenges
Concept: Connect the Dots
Create videos where finger connects dots to create characters:
Simple background
Engages the viewer’s curiosity
Can speak to game truths like Clockmaker’s “We know you’re tired of Match-3 ads..”
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Sweet Escapes, EA
Player Motivations:
Targets player need for creativity and narrative in games
Concept: Serial Storytelling
Serial storytelling style:
Soap opera clichés and adult situations to capture the attention of the 25-54 female demographic.
Minimal scenes (“UP” style opening)
Rival characters fighting over a love interest.
Female characters overcoming odds and bad male behavior.
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Lily’s Garden: 91% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets player need for narrative in games
Concept: Perilous Situations
Rescue situations: Feature characters. Leverage pop culture, movies, or just mini-games.
Character holding rope bridge (Indiana Jones)
Character holding a clock (Harold Lloyd).
Dumb ways to die concepts
HS/GS “in a theme tied to the game”
Concept: Character Countdown
Feature various characters in a countdown:
Showcases animation style, range of characters and attributions
Generates engagement (curiosity over list of characters)
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets completionists seeking to master levels/characters
Concept: Pop Culture
“Nailed It” TV show, predicted winner, iterate with new items (gingerbread) 2 item pickers, new fail, new kitchen items.
Best Fiends throwback ad featured familiar “I Love Lucy” black and white opening. Leverage familiar TV show opens with characters that speak to our target demo.
Concept: Hidden Objects
Count off hidden items or count the difference between side by side images of environments.
Concept: Comedic Voice Over
Create videos that juxtapose gameplay with funny voice over:
Showcases gameplay and graphics
Mimics player dialogue
Uses subtitles
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Icing on the Cake: 54% SOV
Rise of Kingdoms: 72% SOV
Questland: 8% SOV
Player Motivations:
Mirrors social aspect of puzzle games
Concept: Character Competitions
Feature game characters in different competitions:
Slap Off
Strip Poker (word search removes items of clothing, will keep it PG)
Funny way to show character in new environment
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Slap King: 100% SOV
Slap Master: 100% SOV
Sinful Puzzle: 13% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets competitive players
Concept: Off to the Races
Create videos featuring game characters in different races
Water slide race, Car race, running race
Dress up characters as mascots at baseball game, make it interactive with “see who wins”
Showcases characters in new game environment
Engages viewers who’ll want to see who wins
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Aquapark: 83% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets competitive players
Concept: One Word at a Time Stories
Simple text-based videos with attitude that entice or antagonize viewers:
Simple background
Easy to make and test
Can speak to game truths like Clockmaker’s “We know you’re tired of Match-3 ads…”
Competitor/Share of Voice:
Clockmaker 83% SOV
Player Motivations:
Targets player need for creativity and narrative in games
Concept: Incorporate gameplay cleverly
Audience Profile: Completion & Design
Make the gameplay a crucial component of the ad story.
Examples
Gameplay allows you to open a door to escape room
Gameplay gives the key to save a character
Use various shapes to present gameplay (heart-shaped, flower, circle)
Concept: Mix Lifestyle and Gameplay
Audience Profile: Fantasy
Opening ad with lifestyle that matches gameplay/characters
Adding elements of game characters to lifestyle footage
Make Lifestyle part of the story
Concept: Maximize Gameplay Blocks
Audience Profile: Fantasy, excitement
Make gameplay parts interact with other elements of the ad
Examples:
Gameplay blocks hit evil character
Blocks come to life and take over the screen
Gameplay blocks talk to each other discussing ways to make a big move
Concept: Risqué Ideas
Audience Profile: Destruction and
Excitement
Less brand focused
Irreverent elements
Examples:
Inclusion of gross items
Physical discomfort
Can’t look away style
Humor
Concept: Target Different Player Motivations
Target Different User Clusters
CTA always on in non-picker: Play Now, Try Yourself, etc.
End Card “FAIL” appeals to certain users, test “What’s Next?”, “Try Yourself”, etc.
Concept: Test Gameplay Elements
Continue using hand style creative, but make it have a purpose
Selection crucial to narration
Selection moves ad forward
Concept: Add Narrative
Add narrative to best performers transitions to explain the story better
Help understand what the goal is
Concept: Test Level Completed – Player Motivation
Ad levels completed to gameplay best performers (Audience main motivation is completion)
Emphasize the number of levels
Challenge user to get to higher levels
Concept: Test Mini Fails vs One Big Fail
Show a succession of mini fails followed by the big fail ending
Add fail sounds to emphasize the mistake
Simulation Role Playing Games Trends
Competitive Analysis
Competitors: Avakin Life, Chapters: Interactive Stories, Choices: Design Home, Cooking Diary, Covet Fashion, Design My Room, Episode: Super Stylist, Episode: Choose your Story, Fill in 3D, Hollywood Story, House Flip, I Peel Good, Icing on the Cake, IMVU Avatar, Ink Inc., Journeys: Interactive Series, Lily’s Garden: Design & Relax, Linda Brown, Linda Brown: Interactive Story, Love Sick, Moments: Choose Your Story, My Cafe, My Home: Design Dreams, My Story, My Story: Choose your own Path, Paint by Numbers, Party in My Dorm, Pottery, Secrets: Game of Choices, Storyscape, Super Stylist, Township, What’s your Story?
Event/Date Prep with Character Reaction: Picker utilized for hair/makeup/clothing, with character reaction (Hollywood Story, My Story, Lovesick)
Choices-Style situations: Empowered female characters given option to choose their next move (Episode, Choices, Avakin Life, IMVU Avatar)
Men Behaving Badly: Women triumphing over adversity and badly behaving men (Choices, Episode, Love Sick, My Cafe, many others)
Relaxing, Mindless Expressions of Creativity: Decorating, painting and cooking apps that display simple gameplay, sometimes comedically (I Peel Good, Icing on the Cake, Fill in 3D, Pottery)
Creative Expression/Design: Using pickers to create and furnish rooms, houses, etc. (Design Home, My Home: Design Dreams)
Competitive Trends (cont.)
Female characters in peril: Females suffering and crying but overcoming the obstacles and ultimately having the last laugh.
Mean Girls: Cruel characters making fun of unpopular/weak girls, but ultimately losing against them.
Time Progressions: Narrative style ads where present conflict is explained by going back in time or forward to the future.
Outfit Selections Montage: Showing many outfits or makeup choices. Dressing up girls for an event/date/contest
Choosing between two interests: Main character torn between conflicting interests (Best friend and lover, two lovers, money or love).
Awful Dates: Female characters enduring awful dates/relationships but finding a better partner in the end or having to decide what outcome to choose.
Competitive Nature: Friends competing for better date/outfits/more likes on Instagram/popularity.
Concept: Poor Pregnant Woman
Trends: Females in Peril, Awful men
Pregnant woman about to reveal baby news to future dad.
Plot options
A) Guy has other plans
He’s about to reveal he doesn’t love her anymore/is leaving her.
B) She finds him cheating on her with someone else (Sister/agent/friend)
Ending
Woman has to make a difficult decision as a cliffhanger
*Competitor and SOV: Journeys 20.5%
Concept: Revenge with Timing Elements
Trends: Mean Girls, Time, Competitive
Bullied girl gets her payback years later
Starts in present time with bride crying/husband cheating with sexy attendee
Sexy attendee memory takes her back to High School days
Turns out bride was very mean and bullied sexy girl
Options appear with
Revenge
Let it go
Scene returns to present time with the choice made and consequences
*Competitor and SOV: My Story, Journeys 25.5%
Concept: Ugly Betty with a Twist
Trends: Mean Girls and Outfit Selections
Girl is made fun of because of her looks
She decides to go home and change her appearance
A picker screen appears next to her
She selects new make-up, clothes, hair and removes glasses/braces
(I’d avoid doing the weight loss part)
Her “new me” comes to school and tries to seduce her crush
Two options appear
Crush rejects her because she’s now like everyone else
He lusts after her and dumps his girl
*Competitor and SOV: My Story, What’s your story 18.5%
Concept: You vs. Your Friend with a Twist
Trends: Competitive, Outfits, Two loves
Friends compete to find the hottest date
Two frenemies go to Tinder to find a hot date
Side by side screens show each swipe
Both choose a guy but this part is not revealed
Next, both girls are seeing choosing different outfits (fast montage)
Twist end, they both arrive to meet the same guy
Guy must make a choice
He chooses one
He chooses both
*Competitor and SOV: Kim K. Hollywood 31.5%
Concept: Sleeping with the Boss
Trends: Awful dates, Mean Girls
Woman gets in trouble for sleeping with the boss
A girl is reading a text she just received while at work
Snarky coworker reads it too and discovers coworker is sleeping with the boss
A jealous coworker has several choices
Send a chain email to the whole company
Blackmail coworker
Reveals she’s also sleeping with him
Boss also makes a decision based on news
Fires them both
Asks for a threesome
*Competitor and SOV: Journeys 12.5%
Concept: You’re not the father
Trends: Awful dates/Choosing between two
Guy discovers positive pregnant test in the garbage
He’s excited about becoming a dad
His girlfriend is in the other room texting another guy
She seems upset
She tells the other guy the baby is actually his
Choices
Tell the boyfriend baby is his
Tell him the truth
Concept: Something in the closet
Trends: Awful dates
A girl comes home and hears a noise in the closet
She’s scared so texted her boyfriend to help her find out
Boyfriend doesn’t reply
Choices
The girl decides to call the cops
She investigates on her own
Outcome
Turns out boyfriend is in closet with someone else
Simulation Lifestyle App Trends
Competitive Analysis
Top Competitors: Vertical: Design Home, Home Design Makeover, Property Brothers, House Flip, Home Design 3D, My Home Design Dreams, Home Maker, My Home Design Story, HomeCraft, House Designer, Home Street, Home Design, Dream House, Design this home, Word Villas, Planner 5D, House Flipper.
Top Competitors: Apps: Zillow, RedFin, Realtor.com, Homescapes, Gardenscapes, SimCity BuildIt, Home Design Story, Design This Home, Home Design Makeover!
To view competitive videos, click here and select the competitor tab.
Creative Trends
Day and Night: Show transitions from day to night, provoking an emotional response. (Sim City)
Text Transitions: Transition frames with colorful text in different shapes. (Home Design Makeover, HomeCraft)
Emphasize Copy Matching and Emotion: “Bring Vision to Life,” “Create your vision,” “The Power is yours.” (Sim City)
Client Based: Design for a specific client. (Property Brothers, Home Design Makeover)
Creative Expression/Design: Use pickers to create and furnish rooms and houses, while adding encouraging messages. (My Home: Design Dreams, Home Design Makeover)
Unique End Cards: End ad with mobile device and gameplay, search engine style, flipping logo. (Home Design Makeover)
Player Motivations
Motivations:“The idea of getting by in 2030 is just too big to wrap my head around, the path there is too obscure and has too many steps, so sometimes I have to turn on my Xbox… in order to feel like I’m making concrete progress in something I can control.”
Design Home’s recent appeal, and razor-sharp focus on real-life products and design trends, can tell us something about the type of void aging millennials are seeking to fill. They are a generation scorned by the Great Recession, holed up in city rentals, and unable to afford new homes or furniture. But they also can’t help but be influenced by social media and the excessive displays of wealth that comes with it. They long to feel what it’s like to afford the lifestyle of a successful adult.
The House That ‘Design Home’ (and Millennial Anxiety) Built, Alyssa Bereznak, The Ringer
Concept: Present a Challenge to Solve
Explore stories with an issue to solve, targeting creative decision-makers:
Present problem in the opening: “Help grandma sell her house”
The decor is customized based on client needs, using pickers and furniture options
Concept: Give Users the Power
Utilize empowering language to engage users who want to feel more in control of their design process:
Mix game footage with compelling copy that speaks to directly to users’ ability to creative with their decision making
Concept: Show the Possibilities
Engage users and help them express their personal style by showing an array of different styles and options
Give users a creative outlet by transporting them to idyllic yet achievable homes
Concept: Incite Relaxation
Invite users to relax and unwind with concepts that compel them to disconnect:
Calming colors, imagery
Copy that incites relaxation and “me time”
Concept: Before and After
Create videos that show before and after transformations:
Use various headers, split-screen and “Cinderella Transformations” which flip screens and highlight drastic changes
Concept: New Intros and Outros
Create new intro and outros utilizing available assets:
Test Intros with the full logo (Design Home Makeover, Property Brothers, HomeCraft)
Add search-engine feature to end card (House Flip)
Open the first frame with a challenge or question (“Can you help me?”) (My Home Design Dreams)
Concept: Test New Transitions
Try full-frame, colorful transitions with compelling text (Home Design Makeover)
Test different transition styles (Color blocks, Brick style, My Home Design Dreams)
Sports Games Trends
Competitive Analysis
Competitors: MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2020, 8 Ball Pool™, Real Boxing 2, My NBA 2K20, Tennis Clash: Online League, NBA 2K Mobile Basketball, Asphalt 9: Legends, Basketball Stars™, Homer City, MADDEN NFL MOBILE FOOTBALL, Golf Battle, WWE SuperCard, Oh My Goal! – Soccer, Baseball Boy! MLB 9 Innings 20, NBA LIVE Mobile Basketball, Dream League Soccer 2020, MLB Champions, FIFA soccer, EA SPORTS™ UFC®, PBA® Bowling Challenge, Football Strike, Score! Hero, PGA TOUR Golf Shootout, NBA 2K20, R.B.I. Baseball 20, NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, Football Manager 2020 Mobile
View competitive videos by hitting the competitor tab here.
Creative Trends
Gameplay/Game Overview: Shots of gameplay that showcase graphics and players. (Home Run Clash, NBA 2K, Boxing Star, many more)
Distance Challenges: Simple gameplay that challenges viewers to hit an object as far as they can. (Baseball Boy, Slap Master)
Competition: Videos dramatizing head to head competition between players. (Darts of Fury, Home Run Clash)
Noob vs. Pro: Videos displaying bad versus good gameplay. (Darts of Fury, Mini Golf King)
Real Player Footage: Real footage replacing game characters and gameplay. (Tennis Clash, Sniper Arena, Draft Kings)
Cinematic Techniques: Slo-mo, camera pans, and other cinematic techniques utilizing game characters. (Johnny Trigger, Mr. Bullet, Sniper Arena, Tennis Clash)
Augmented Gameplay: Illustrations, emojis, talk bubbles and voice-over added to gameplay or characters (Mr. Bullet, Draft Kings, Flip & Dive 3D)
Game Controller Overlay: Game controller overlay on gameplay to give it a game console effect. (Tennis Clash, City Fighter Vs. Street Gang)
Concept: Statcast
Create videos that incorporate statistics into the gameplay
Overlay graphics to show the distance of tape measure shots and challenge viewers to play and hit home runs
Overlay graphics on pitching stats and ground covered by outfielders, challenging viewers to beat their opponent
Competitor/Share of Voice
Baseball Boy: 90% SOV
Slap Masters: 100% SOV
Concept: Character Countdown
Create a countdown of featured players in the game
Showcases animation style, range of players and stats
Use baseball card like graphics
Generates engagement (curiosity over the list of characters)
Competitor/Share of Voice
Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV
Concept: Trash Talk Voice Over
Juxtapose gameplay with player trash talk
Showcases gameplay and graphics
Mimics player dialogue and chat portion of the game
Uses subtitles
Competitor/Share of Voice
Icing on the Cake: 54% SOV
Flip & Dive 3D: 90% SOV
Concept: Emoji Gameplay
Feature gameplay with emoji overlays and talk bubbles to communicate player emotions
Humorous
Humanizes players
Showcases game graphics
Competitor/Share of Voice
Bullet: 3% SOV
Flip & Dive 3D: 90% SOV
DraftKings: 12% SOV
Concept: Real Game Footage
Intercut gameplay with real footage, so that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s the game
Showcases game graphics
Promotes simulation aspect of the game: “Closest thing to being on the field”
Competitor/Share of Voice
Tennis Clash: 50% SOV
Sniper Arena: 3% SOV
Concept: Announcer Calls
Re-create the feel of a famous announcer calling a legendary game with gameplay and voice over
Creates emotional “what if” scenarios (see MLB The Show 2012 “Cubs Win” ad here)
Engages the viewer’s curiosity
Highlights the passion of sports fans
Competitor/Share of Voice
N/A
Concept: Cinematic Stories
Create videos using cinematic techniques and voiceover to up the emotional ante of the game
Showcases game graphics
Utilizes nostalgic sports documentary feel
Appealing to sports fans
Competitor/Share of Voice
Tennis Clash: 2% SOV
Johnny Trigger: 97% SOV
Bullet: 3% SOV
Concept: Noob vs. Pro
Create side-by-side videos of good and bad gameplay, with “Noob vs. Pro” header
Shows the difficulty of the game
Triggers player competitive urge
Incorporates head-to-head aspect
Highlights both “wins” and “fails” – both powerful hooks for players
Competitor/Share of Voice
Darts of Fury: 13% SOV
Mini Golf King: 12% SOV
Concept: Sports Chants
Create a sing-along music video of gameplay with a famous sports chant
g. bouncing ball version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”
Most chants are in the public domain
Showcases graphics and gameplay
Will appeal to sports fans (specific team chants could accompany more targeted campaigns)
