In 2013, global insanity on ad blocking began. As a result, mobile advertising has gradually shifted toward formatting and approaches that bring value to both customers and advertisers.
And now, 5 years later, advertisers around the globe are actively testing a new advertising format that expands the borders of interactivity – playable ads. According to the study, about 71% of users believe that the format, allowing users to see the gameplay within a banner (in other words, playable ads) is the most effective for engaging users.
Playable ads are suitable for advertisers and developers, willing to attract high-quality, involved users. These will install the application after an exciting mini-game and, more likely, will open the application again and use it in the future.

What are Playable Ads?

It is not difficult to guess by the name this is an advertisement that can be played. These are interactive ad units that simulate a short game or “sample” application. The goal is to let the user “taste” the application prior to installation. Most importantly, users like these ads. The user gets an advertising experience and at the same time learns what the current application actually looks like.

So, playable ads are short advertisements, offering the user interactive gameplay bits, in other words, “micro-games.” Every advertisement of this type finishes with a call to action (for example, to download an application), it is normally not longer than one minute in length, but in many cases, only 15 seconds may be enough to achieve the goal.

Why Playable Ads?

– Banner blindness has not touched Playable ads yet. Banner blindness is a phenomenon in usability in which the site visitor does not notice ad units or objects similar to them.

– Playable ads on Facebook. A huge audience coverage, flexible targeting, and advertising algorithm will allow you to show the ad as the most suitable audience. For a social network, it is a new type of advertising that guarantees maximum interest.

– Most advertisers believe that the established user can be considered as a client. They are wrong. These users, as a maximum, are potential customers. Users who embed the application, admit that the application can suit them. That is the value of Playable Ads compared to static creatives. If a person has played a mini-gameplay and performed a targeted action, then he/she has already missed the “intelligence” stage. Most likely, he will be your client.

How to get the most out of a playable banner?

Do not forget about metrics. Playable ads are used to reduce CPI and increase user engagement. Some developers and brands dedicate all the tickets to the entertainment part of advertising. Instead, as always, you need to test various intermediate elements and calls to action, analyze CTR, CPI, and other important metrics.
Optimize the First Time User Experience (FTUE) or the first user experience — the first action you take. Playable ads should load quickly. To do this, remove the animation when loading and unnecessary “heavy” functions. Give clear instructions. Often the winning FTUE revolves around the simplest action: pressing or swiping, dragging or dropping an object.

What is the future of playable ads?

Can Playable displace video ads from leading positions on mobile? In the near future, it is unlikely. But, with the growth of device performance and Internet speed, Playable ads are gaining momentum. And the day is not far distant when Playable will begin to spread beyond the gaming niche.

In CryptoAds, we always follow the most up-to-date trends, and Playable Ads is not an exception. Our platform supports this ad format, and you can always test it to make sure this works with your audience.

To begin, feel free to message to oi.cfc%40srepoleved if you are an app developer or to oi.cfc%40sresitrevda if you are an advertiser. We will make a quick review and start working together!