IAB releases playable ads guide as format's reach grows

Brief:

The Interactive Advertising Bureau's Games Committee today released a guidebook for playable ads, an interactive ad format that engages mobile users with mini-versions of video games, according to information shared with Mobile Marketer and available on the group's site. The IAB's "Playable Ads for Brands" has information about the ad format, including creative options, media placements, measurement and consumer interaction.
LVMH Moët Hennessy is featured as an example in the IAB guide, demonstrating how playable ads have expanded beyond their initial role of providing previews of gaming apps to creating immersive brand experiences for mobile users. The luxury brand giant worked with TreSensa, a provider of in-app playable advertising, on developing an interactive ad.
Playable ads also are gaining more acceptance on programmatic ad exchanges and social platforms are adopting the format as a common ad unit. That standardization is leading to ad placements not only in mobile games, but also websites, apps and social media platforms, according to the IAB.

Insight:

The IAB's guidebook on playable ads comes as the ad format gains greater acceptance among mobile marketers seeking to gamify the brand experience, cut through ad clutter and engage smartphone users. Playable ads are a mobile-first creative format that combine visuals and sound with a more intimate, high-touch experience that only smartphones can provide. The format urges interactivity with common mobile gestures like touch, swipe, flip and tap while conveying a branded message.

Because brands completely control the content in a playable ad, the guidebook notes that they don't have to worry about brand safety issues that have become a significant concern for marketers who place ads on social media and video-sharing platforms that rely on user-generated content. The opt-in nature of playable ads also gives consumers greater control of the experience, a characteristic that is especially popular among Generation Z, according to a recent study.

Playable ads can be tracked with more measurement tools than traditional metrics like CPM, CTR and ROAS.

"Playable ads have the distinct ability to provide more outcome-related engagement and time spent metrics that can be optimized to significantly enhance performance," Rob Grossberg, CEO of TreSensa and co-chair of the IAB's working group, said in a blog post about the guidebook.

In a significant sign of the growing popularity of the ad format, Facebook last week added playable ads to its Audience Network, the social network's in-app ad network that tracks mobile audiences across the internet. The company first introduced the format in its News Feed in August, and has seen a growing number of brands develop playable ad campaigns. PopSockets, the maker of mobile accessories such as collapsible smartphone stands, boosted ad recall to 56% above a benchmark with a campaign using Facebook Playable Ads.