- 01
Mobile gaming ads in August 2021 shifted toward high-fidelity, narrative-driven content featuring real-world celebrity partnerships, such as Garena Free Fire’s collaboration with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Call of Duty Mobile’s integration of Ozuna.
- 02
Top-performing creatives are increasingly moving away from pure gameplay footage in favor of cinematic storytelling, anniversary-themed promotions, and interactive elements like Buzzfeed-style quizzes.
- 03
Psychological triggers remain a core engagement strategy, with 'fail-state' ads—demonstrating a player losing a level—continuing to drive performance for titles like Royal Match and Evony.
- 04
Hyper-casual games are targeting younger demographics on platforms like Snapchat by integrating popular music soundtracks and expressive visual callouts.
- 05
Emerging visual design trends for mobile ads include the use of split-screen layouts, Bitmojis, and 'search bar' call-to-actions that provide users with direct visual instructions on how to locate apps in stores.
- 06
Performance data for these trends was aggregated from major ad networks including ironSource, Applovin, and Vungle across a diverse range of genres, including mid-core shooters, RPGs, and puzzle games.