Tim Shepherd presented 5 things they learned about playable ads from developing them at Wooga. They found that: 1. Playable ads are more complex to produce than initially assumed and require a diverse set of skills across games, marketing, and analytics. 2. Players are not inherently enthusiastic about playable ads and require convincing design to engage with them. 3. Playable ads require a new development pipeline compared to traditional mini-games, with different production tools, skills, and teams needed. 4. Publishing playable ads is more complicated than one-click, with different requirements across platforms and metrics to track. 5. Operating playable ads successfully requires analyzing new metrics like in-game retention and

1. Playable Ads: 5 Things We Learned the
Hard Way, So You Don’t Have To
Tim Shepherd
Creative Director, Playable Ads <> Wooga
Google Campus, Warsaw, March 2019

2. Story-driven casual
Berlin, DE. est 2009
~200 hc

3. Things we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to
Assumptions & Findings
DNA of Playable Ads
Design
Production solutions
Publishing
Reporting and iterations
Q&A

4. The evolution of in-game advertising
THEN NOW

5. ASSUMPTION #1. IT’S GONNA BE SUPER EASY
Playable Ads: Things we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to
FINDING #1. IT’S NOT

6. DNA of Playable Ads: What is it?
Ad
Vertical
slice
FTUX

7. DNA of Playable Ads
Ad
Vertical
slice
FTUX
Sweet spot

8. The first data-driven ad creative
Weeks > minutes

9. IPM (Installs Per Mille)
CPI (Cost Per Install)
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
Time to ROAS
Game KPIs
Retention D1 / 7 / 30
Days played
ARPDAU
100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
The first data-driven ad creative

10. IPM (Installs Per Mille)
CPI (Cost Per Install)
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
Time to ROAS
Game KPIs
Retention D1 / 7 / 30
Days played
ARPDAU
100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Focus areas
30-90% 50-100%
2-10%

11. Teeny tiny
<1mb
Html5, .js
Playable ad != Instant Game

12. What we heard
“Ad unit of the future”
“Playables deliver the
best users”
50%
off CPI!
1.5x
IAP!
260%
ROAS
85% ad
spend
+20
% D7
“More publishers
creating”
“More players
engaging”
“Complex & expensive”
“Best unit for
platform”
“The best ads givethe best results”
“Qualify NU”
!! Take a photo !!

13. What we believe
“Ad unit of the future”
“Playables deliver the
best users”
50%
off CPI!
1.5x
IAP!
260%
ROAS
85% ad
spend
+20
% D7
“More publishers
creating”
“More players
engaging”
“Complex & expensive”
“Best unit for
platform”
“The best ads givethe best results”
“Qualify NU”

14. ASSUMPTION #2. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOVE
PLAYABLE ADS
Playable Ads: Things we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to
FINDING #2. THEY NEED CONVINCING

15. IPM (Installs Per Mille)
CPI (Cost Per Install)
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
Time to ROAS
Game KPIs
Retention D1 / 7 / 30
Days played
ARPDAU
100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Design best practices
30-90% 50-100%
2-10%

16. 100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Design best practices: Onboarding
30-90%
IPM (Installs Per Mille)
CPI (Cost Per Install)
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
Time to ROAS
Game KPIs
Retention D1 / 7 / 30
Days played
ARPDAU

17. Audience considerations
Assumed familiarity
Attention level
Trust

18. Tutorial UI/UX
Subtlety be damned

19. Tutorial UI/UX
Text intro = insignificant
Animated hints = better
Looping + idle actions = best

20. 100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Design best practices: Gameplay
50-100%
K.I.S.S.K.I.E.S.S.

21. Design best practices: Gameplay
Dynamic variables
- Difficulty
- Time to complete
- Taps/actions
Works for us
- 3-5 taps
- ~30 secs

22. Design best practices: Gameplay
Bigger is better
Simplify mechanic for
understanding

23. Design best practices: Gameplay
WOW! moment
Design ‘backwards’

24. 100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Design best practices: CTR
2-10%

25. Design best practices: CTR

26. Design best practices: CTR

27. Design best practices: General
Manage expectations
Concept, not details
Work backwards from WOW!
Remember goals

28. Design WORST practices
PLAY AGAIN EXIT

29. Design WORST practices

30. ASSUMPTION #3. JUST A MINI-GAME
PRODUCTION
Playable Ads: Things we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to
FINDING #3. COMPLETELY NEW DEV PIPELINE

31. Production: Skills
Data-driven design
Gameplay
Brand
UI/UX
Ad
Vertical
slice
FTUX
Games Team Marketing
Marketing
ROAS metrics
Building/shipping software

32. Production: Skills
Data-driven design
Gameplay
Brand
UI/UX
Games Team Marketing
Marketing
ROAS metrics
Building/shipping software

33. Production: Skills
Games
Teams
Marketing
UA
Tech
partner
Playables team

34. Production: Tools & Solutions
Hypercasual 3D / Action/ 4XCasual

35. Production: Tools & Solutions
CLIP CLIP CLIP CLIP FINALE END CARD

36. Production: Tools & Solutions
CLIP
Ob 1
END CARDOb 2
Ob 3
Ob 2.1
Ob 3.1
Ob 1.2
Ob 2.2
Ob 1.1
Ob 3.2
Ob 3.3
Ob 2.3
Ob 1.3

37. ASSUMPTION #4. ONE-CLICK PUBLISHING
Playable Ads: Things we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to
FINDING #4. LOTS OF CASES TO HANDLE

38. !! Take a photo !!
Publishing
Many more…
Size limit
Compressed
Inlined
Custom CTA
MRAID support
QA
Submission
Lead-in video
Responsive design
Reporting
Analytics
1mb
Y
Possible
N
N
Web
N
Both
Google
None
2mb; 5 rumored
N
Y
Y
N
Automated
Web
Y
Y
Facebook
Rumored
5mb
N
Y
N
Y
Human
Human
N
Y
Unity
Allowed
5mb
N
Y
N
Y
Human
Human
N
Y
AopLovin
Allowed
5mb
N
Y
N
N
Human
Git
N
Y
Chartboost
-
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Automated
Others… … … … … … …

39. Playable Ads: Things we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to
ASSUMPTION #5. LIVE OPS LITE
FINDING #5. GOOD APPROACH, LOTS OF NEW DATA
POINTS TO CONSIDER

40. IPM (Installs Per Mille)
CPI (Cost Per Install)
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
Time to ROAS
Game KPIs
Retention D1 / 7 / 30
Days played
ARPDAU
100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Reporting and analysis
30-90% 50-100%
2-10%

41. IPM (Installs Per Mille)
CPI (Cost Per Install)
ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)
Time to ROAS
Game KPIs
Retention D1 / 7 / 30
Days played
ARPDAU
100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Reporting and analysis

42. 100%
0%
Loaded 1st
int. Comp. CTRRequest
Success metrics
1. Scale = success

43. Success metrics
1. Scale = success
2. On par/beating best video
0.16% 0.15%
0.05%
Video Playable Interstitial
IPM (Installs Per Mille) industry benchmarks*
*Liftoff Mobile & Creative Index 2019

44. Success metrics
1. Scale = success
2. On par/beating best video
3. “UA” Metrics
a. IPM
b. CPI
c. ROAS
4. In game metrics
a. Retention
b. ARPDAU
150%
IPM ROAS
Comparative Metrics snapshots
Video BM
D2 ret
Video BM Video BM
75%
90%

45. What we STILL believe
“Ad unit of the future”
“Playables deliver the
best users”
50%
off CPI!
1.5x
IAP!
260%
ROAS
85% ad
spend
+20
% D7
“More publishers
creating”
“More players
engaging”
“Complex & expensive”
“Best unit for
platform”
“The best ads givethe best results”
“Qualify NU”

46. 5 things to takeaway
Playable ads benefit from broad skills and experience to execute well;
a games team may not yet have them all in place
!! Take a photo !!
Do not underestimate the importance (and difficulty) of KIESS
Select a production solution which works for your games,
resources, and strategies
A little technical knowledge goes a long way
Run it like Live Ops; measure what you can and what counts

47. Tim Shepherd
tim.shepherd@wooga.com
Q&A