People love engaging with each other on the internet, and now they can even engage with their favorite brands. In a world where users are bombarded with countless ads every second, how do you stand out? Playable ads.

Playables are a valuable tool for marketers looking to engage their target audience in a unique and entertaining way. Whether it's a puzzle minigame, a choose-your-own-adventure experience, or a user-generated content concept, playables offer significant benefits. This guide will help you create the perfect playable.

1. Know What Motivates Your Audience

The first step is understanding what motivates your target audience. Playables are an opportunity to showcase standard gameplay or replicate an in-app experience. Focus on concepts that drive user engagement and create joyful moments.

Common motivators to jumpstart your brainstorming:

• Excitement

• Connection

• Challenge

• Success

• Escape

• Creation

• Learning

• Access

• Simplification

• Discovery

For example, if your app schedules tours for travelers, a "Choose Your Own Adventure" playable will tap into the excitement of discovery they are already seeking.

2. Understand Your Environment and Competition

Other businesses are trying to solve the same problems you are. Conduct a thorough competitive analysis and creative trend forecasting to inform your next concept.

Questions to consider about your competitors:

• What kind of ads do they put out?

• Which ads are their highest and lowest performing?

• What do their user reviews say?

• Are they trying anything fresh and different?

3. Skip the Fluff

A playable’s success is often determined in the first 2 seconds. You must grab attention immediately. Keep the first scene simple to maintain engagement.

Tips for a scroll-stopping playable:

• Avoid lengthy tutorials.

• Use emotion—how should the user feel?

• Use concise copy and personable tone.

• Make it intuitive so users can self-guide.

4. Test and Learn… and Test Again

Create A/B tests to understand what resonates. Even small changes like switching a color scheme or CTA can significantly impact performance.

When concepting, try three variations:

• The Safe Bet: Consistent with current brand standards.

• The Expected: Exactly what you think the audience wants.

• The Wildcard: Something totally different from your usual approach.

5. Tell Them Who You Are and Make the Ask

Maintain brand awareness by keeping your logo visible throughout the experience. Too often, brands forget to include logos, leaving users unsure who the ad was for.

💡 Quick tip: Keep your logo visible during each scene to stay top-of-mind.

Once users interact, make the ask. Add a clear Call-to-Action (CTA) like "DOWNLOAD NOW" to each scene. This makes it easy for users to take the next step whenever they are ready.

6. Deliver Seamless Mobile Experiences

Your playable must work perfectly on every device and orientation. Always test from different angles.

• Does the design resize for both landscape and portrait?

• How do assets format across different screen ratios?

💡 Quick tip: To create full-screen assets, center the content around a square focal point to ensure it fits both orientations.

Make Interaction Obvious

Use visual cues so users know they can interact and don't mistake the ad for a video:

• Pointers: Use a finger or arrow icon.

• Animations: Make buttons pulse or move.

• Text: Use simple guiding text like "Tap to Play."

7. Finish Strong with an End Card

The End Card is your final chance to drive acquisition. Remind users who you are and what the next step is.

Elements of a strong End Card:

• A prominent logo.

• An extra-large CTA button.

• A full-screen hit area (so any tap leads to the store).

• Motivating animations.

Let’s get creative. Interested in how CRAFTSMAN+ can help you build winning playable ads? With CRAFTSMAN Studio, you can personalize playables using ready-made templates or custom tools—no coding required! Request a demo today.