Coca Cola, Bingo!, SBI Life and others are tapping, slicing and sliding their way into mobile marketing with Gamification

Marketers have stopped at nothing to create engaging ad experiences for users in the mobile ad space.

With several tricks up their sleeve to retain users’ attention, gamified ads holds a prominent spot. Not only do they instantly engage users, but they also offer the opportunity for brands to get creative and distinguish themselves from competitors. Brands are partnering with mobile advertising companies in a bid to create impactful experiences and target the right market segments.

Here’s a list of 10 renowned brands that have successfully used gamified ads to their advantage.

1. Coca Cola – Litchi | Tap on the falling Litchis

Youthfulness, energy and excitement are three words that resonate strongly with every Coca Cola ad, across platforms, and they pulled all the stops to create an equally engaging experience on mobile too, this time for its litchi-flavoured drink.

Seamlessly integrated within the ad, the game challenged users to tap on as many litchis as possible within 30 seconds, to reveal the drink, along with a chance to win Paytm vouchers and other gift hampers.

2. Sony – Commonwealth Games | Tap to shoot

Sony hit the bull’s eye with a gamified ad ahead of the Commonwealth Games, that not only went beyond informing users about the sport, but also enabled them to take a shot at experiencing it, first-hand on their mobile.

The thumb-stopping ad prompted users to aim for the bull’s eye and tap on their screen to shoot, for three rounds. This was followed with a schedule of the games, that users could add to their phone’s calendar.

3. TATA AIA Life Insurance – #RakshakaranHero | Plant a tree

Creating noise about its corporate social responsibility activity of planting trees each time an insurance policy is purchased, TATA AIA Life Insurance engaged users with an ad that effectively used gamification to etch a mark for itself in the industry.

Stepping away from an otherwise basic way of promoting an insurance policy, the ad prompted users to tap on the screen to plant as many trees as possible within 5 seconds, to be a protector of both their family and the planet.

4. Bournvita – Biscuits | Tap & Slice

Eating a healthy  breakfast is important, and Bournvita built on this creatively with an ad that was high on creativity, by tapping and slicing its way through the noisy mobile ad space.

Encouraging users to tap on as many oats and slice as many bananas as possible within 10 seconds, the brand innovatively revealed its healthy biscuits with a gamified ad, building strong brand recall and creating a lasting impression.

5. Bingo! Starters | Catch the ingredients

Bingo! has always associated its products with youthful energy and its campaign for Bingo! Starters was no exception. The brand took to mobile advertising in order to keep up with the fun aspect of its product, creating an interactive and engaging ad.

Putting an entertaining spin on the ad experience, users were prompted to tilt their phones to the left and right to catch the falling ingredients, which aligned seamlessly with the brand’s themes, and resonated well with users.

6. SBI Life Insurance | Drag the balloon

Adding the fun factor into an otherwise serious product like insurance policies, SBI Life took the lead, with a gamified ad that got users hooked instantly.

The rich-media campaign encouraged users to drag a balloon on their phone’s screen, away from falling obstacles. On failing to protect the balloon from the obstacles, the ad transitions to the brand’s core message that advises users to protect themselves from obstacles by investing in its insurance policies.

7. DBS Bank – Sampurn(e)arth | Segregate the waste

With its constant efforts to keep the environment clean and waste-free, DBS Bank created buzz about its partnership with Sampurn(e)arth, a social enterprise that simplifies waste management with a creative twist.

This unique ad aimed to inform users about the cause, with a gamified campaign, wherein, they were encouraged to tap and drag waste items in bins labelled ‘dry’, ‘electronics’ and ‘wet’ within 10 seconds. With this, DBS Bank created significant awareness about its effort towards environmental cause in a memorable manner.

8. Kinder Joy | Crossword

Crosswords have intrigued users for generations, ever since it made its mark on the Indian diaspora around 1925, and the rest is history. Little did The Times of India know about the trend it would set in the decades to come, and Kinder Joy took advantage of a beloved hobby to create a captivating experience for users.

This ‘out-of-the-box’ mobile ad encouraged users to solve the crossword puzzle to learn about the fun contents inside a Kinder Joy.

9. Bajaj Allianz – Two-Wheeler Insurance | Bike game

Insurance companies are stepping up their game with alluring ad experiences, that are keeping customers engaged. Bajaj Allianz put a creative spin to their ad that promotes two-wheeler insurance.

The very core of the brand’s objectives was to steer clear from trouble. But, to add a bit of fun, the campaign challenged users to navigate a bike to protect it from obstacles. Through this experience, the brand could efficaciously make users aware of the need to insure their two-wheelers.

10. Saffola Active Soup | Solve the puzzle

Soups have and still are one of our favourite thing to have. In order to put the fun factor in to Saffola’s Active Soup, the brand took an innovative approach to their ads, and it made all the difference.

The gamified ad gave users an engaging experience, by challenging them to solve a puzzle, by sliding the pieces in the correct order, revealing the product.

In a world where brands are fighting for digital real estate only to shout at users from every direction, mobile advertising platforms look at building a deeper, more meaningful ad experience, setting set a benchmark for how brands should engage users. Gamified ads that encourage users to interact with the brand’s narrative are in vogue. But here’s where it gets interesting. We’re only just beginning. With advancement in innovation and technology, the integration of games in mobile ads will revolutionise how users perceive ads.