Alexandra Pulinets

Mobile game ads have a bit of a reputation problem lately. Just look at the 165,000-member Reddit community, r/shittymobilegameads, or the growing number of YouTube influencers gaining followers by roasting and critiquing “shitty” mobile game ads. But when does a mobile ad cross the line from grabbing attention to being offensive, low-quality, or outright inappropriate for younger viewers? I thought about this during a recent car ride with a friend and their 4-year-old daughter. Like most kids, she gets restless on long trips, so her parents give her their phone to play games. I couldn’t resist peeking at her screen. Her routine was simple: a few minutes of hyper-casual gameplay, followed by a 30-second ad, then back to the game. Whenever an ad popped up, she’d hand the phone to her mom to skip it—as she wasn’t old enough to read […]

Mobile video ads' view rates reveal that attention starts dropping after just four seconds. Today, attention is advertising’s most valuable currency, making the hook—the opening of each video—the most crucial element of the ad creative. What makes a great hook? Straight to the point: Within the first 2 seconds of your ad, it should be blatantly clear what’s happening. Add movement: Movement, whether fast and dynamic or slow and hypnotic, is a great way to catch  the eye. Evoke curiosity: Implement elements that give the viewer no choice but to continue watching. Create humorous, shocking, or awe moments: Play with emotions. You can never go wrong with a good WTF moment!  Use all the tools at your disposal: Not just visual, but audio, SFX, voice-over, and text. For research, ad intelligence platforms like Apptica can help you spot top-performing creatives by showing which ads have the highest […]