Trends in Mobile Creatives 2024

The mobile market has grown bigger, making almost 60% of traffic online. This can be attributed to mobile phones catching up with desktops in terms of performance and their inherent convenience. People prefer using smartphones for online shopping, socializing, communicating, and playing.

Marketers capitalize on the growing popularity of cell phones and opt for in-app ads, mobile Facebook ads, and even playables. But in order to make the most out of your creatives, it’s imperative to stay up to date with the latest trends.

This way, you will know the most popular apps and approaches, how in-app purchases evolve, which mobile data become paramount, and whether AI is so disruptive indeed, as they say. Apptica has done all the work for you. Scroll down the article to learn about the latest 2024 trends regarding mobile creatives.

Video Ads Grow Popular

In order to stand out among the competition, mobile marketers try to make their ads captivating and unique. Monopoly Go serves as a great example of video ads with UGC integration. Video ads help to say the most with a few words, as text, video, and audio synergize for maximum impact. Bear in mind that mobile traffic outweighs desktops and tablets. Now, let’s go through some facts:

91% of consumers want to see video ads from brands
66% of consumers believe that short videos are the best form of content on social media
92% of marketers are satisfied with their ROI from video ads
80% of consumers ordered something online after watching a related video
82% of internet traffic comes from video streaming and downloads

In our recent report, this trend is well backed up by data. In 2023, video creatives took 76% on iOS, and in 2023, on Android, 75%. Video share keeps growing on both platforms ( iOS +16% & Android +37%) compared to 2022.

Remember that the optimal duration of a short video depends on the platform you’re using. From what we see in our creative gallery, vertical videos that run up to 30-40 seconds perform better for many publishers.

Gamification to Improve the Reception of Ads

Besides making the ads more dynamic, marketers focus on improving their interactivity. Playable ads are gaining momentum, e.g., Candy Crush, Solitaire Grand Harvest, or Royal Match. In 2023 5,5% of creatives on iOS pertain to interactive format and 2% – on Android.

It shows a positive dynamic on iOS (+2,7%) and a negative one on Android (-0.5%), compared to 2022 (Source: Apptica report).

A mini-game showcasing briefly all the features of the actual game serves as a test drive. Such kind of ads gives pleasure instantly. The user is easily hooked, which is why they are likely to ask for more, despite the CTA roadblock.

The advantages of playable advertising include filtering out non-engaged users at the very beginning and improving customer LTV, Retention Rate, and ROI in the long run. Playable game ads provide extra feedback on marketing performance.

For example, people might be unwilling to install the app because the trial game difficulty is cranked up to impossible. Playables are predominantly present in Gaming but might expand their share in non-gaming niches. Some interactive creatives have already been spotted in Finance, Shopping, Social, and other verticals.

Creatives Perfected With AI

Source: App Lovin

Content-aware fill, stylized renditions, and straight-up image generation save time and improve performance. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers vast possibilities that exceed the comprehension of a single person, which is why a dedicated team of AI professionals is a good investment. Here’s how you can switch from a person to a think-tank:

Favor free flow of ideas among team members
Create a dedicated group assigned to explore and adopt AI and best practices
Test various tools periodically
Form a dedicated project to explore AI use cases
Exchange best practices among members and aggregate them in a database
Use the time saved for further AI exploration

Personalization Is Offset With Privacy

Source: Cisco

Personalized ads can be a great way to engage users more. However, up to 94% of clients refuse to buy from brands, neglecting personal data protection. When it comes to private data collection and protection, Gen Z (18–24 y.o.) mistrusts the brands the most (at 52%).

On the other hand, 65% of customers believe that ad personalization is the way to improve brand loyalty. When it comes to user acquisition, it’s important to maintain the balance between personalization and privacy. For instance, first-party data can be good for contextual advertising, but this kind of data, like device IDs, should not be sold to third parties (Source: inbeat agency).

Influencer Marketing Fosters Trust

Our brain processes a single J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit every day — we have much information surrounding us. People cannot wrap their minds around every informational source, which is why they settle for the most credible, interesting, or valuable ones.

Influencers sit in between corporations and average people, meaning they enjoy more credibility, simply because it’s easier for the users to relate to them. They serve as a single point of contact to tap into an audience segment.

That’s why, in 2024, it’s best to collaborate with the opinion leaders whenever possible. They enjoy a pre-engaged audience, sound credible, and can make organic ads — perceived as less “in your face” in general.

UGC Ascends to the Stars

User Generated Content will gain even more traction in 2024 as a way for customers to show off their contributions and get recognized. Just like in the case of influencers, people trust their peers more, so marketers should focus on inspiring UGC creation.

Launch engaging contests and challenges with specific hashtags, themes, or formats (remember the ice-bucket challenge?) to facilitate UGC. It’s all about social proof, a sense of engagement, and having a chance to make an impact that turns people into die-hard fans.

Check how to unleash the power of UGC-like creatives in a dual masterclass.

Evolution of Misleading Ads

Misleading creatives are not as pervasive as they used to be. CTRs are less relevant these days for many advertisers, whereas acquiring quality users is of major importance.

Usually, behind the success of fake ads, there is a problem-solving mechanic (pins, stacking, puzzle, etc.) that can, in fact, be added without creating a misleading creative. Besides, there is a trend among mid-core, hard-core titles to demonstrate simple mechanics in the creative that allow for a decrease in CPI.

For example, Stormshot: Isle of Adventure uses simple mechanics such as “save someone” and “solve the puzzle” in most of its creatives. However, the gameplay is akin to a 4×4 strategy, with all the puzzles shown in the ads being a tiny part of the game.

Hybrid Format of Creatives Is on the Rise

A hybrid ad unit consists of different kinds of ad formats, mostly playable ads and video ads, to create a multi-page ad. Usually, we spot a sequence of a short video ad, a playable ad, and an ending card, which could either consist of another playable ad or of an interstitial ad, with a button that redirects to the app store and to in-house assets.

Examples:

Conclusion

The mobile market is thriving, with significant shifts in consumer behavior driving new trends in mobile creatives for 2024.

Marketers are focusing on video ads to captivate audiences, leveraging gamification to enhance engagement, and harnessing the power of AI for more efficient content creation. However, they must also navigate the delicate balance between personalization and user privacy, especially with impending changes like Google’s Privacy Sandbox.

Additionally, the rise of ad-free subscriptions, the continued importance of influencer marketing, and the relatability of user-generated content present both challenges and opportunities for brands.

By following best practices such as incorporating human presence, enhancing accessibility, and prioritizing quality seasonal ads, marketers can stay ahead in this dynamic landscape and effectively engage with their target audiences.