Throughout this week, we’re reviewing the weird mobile game ads we get served on TikTok to see if we can learn something from them. Wish us luck.
We’re getting heavily targeted by Lilith’s strategy game Rise of Kingdoms, so let’s look at just some of the creatives we’ve been served so far.
They have a range of hooks, including a US high school ‘jocks and geeks’ scenario, ones set on planes, and more typical memey ones with gameplay tips.
There are more random ones too, involving speeding tickets and someone not being able to play the piano or their PlayStation until they reach a certain power level in the game.
There are a few variations of these plane-based ads, but it’s worth checking out at least the first one in the video above, which involves a larger chap pretending to be a crying baby on a flight. It’s also a splitscreen ad with a cat meme at the bottom, for some reason.
These plane ones all have a minor conflict, then the characters try and outdo each other with their power levels in the game, which then lead into a spiel about the game. Fun stuff.
These ‘jocks and geeks’ ones have different variants but follow the same formula, the geek gets bullied by the jock, but then becomes more powerful in Rise of Kingdoms and comes out on top by the end.
Some of the odder creatives involve a player not being able to do everyday things until he reaches a certain player level, and a speeding ticket scenario where the cop and driver try to outdo each other with their Rise of Kingdoms power levels. But they’re done with humour and do actually tell you what the game is at the end.
There are more typical memey creatives too, which begin like a native TikTok then roll into a influencer talking through tips for the game.
Verdict: Fine
Clearly these kind of everyday scenarios – flights, high school drama, speeding tickets – must resonate otherwise I wouldn’t keep seeing them. The game tip ads also do a pretty good job explaining the appeal of the game, in my opinion.
So yes: well done Lilith for not actively bringing shame upon the mobile games business. Of the many TikTok ads I’ve been collecting in the last month, these are on the more sane and conservative side, and actually give players a sense of what they’ll be doing in the game.
