This review comes from Appodeal’s UA Creative Team and highlights the approaches that are most likely to cut through the noise in the year ahead. The best ads next year will come from teams willing to break format and drop the rules the moment they stop serving the game, so treat this guide as a source of inspiration rather than a checklist.
Here are the six trends that stand out.
1. A longer intro before the gameplay hits
These creatives open with a longer “story” moment before any gameplay appears. It pulls people in. The intro can take up half of the ad and often leans on social-proof moments. Viewers pause, watch and only then transition into the actual gameplay.
Don’t lock yourself into one look. Even if the game doesn’t change, the visual style of the ad absolutely can. Shifts in color palettes, textures and overall mood can completely change how it feels.
The ad can even go full 3D. The trend started in 2024, and by now it’s a solid, proven creative direction for casual games.
A quick “wait, what?” moment always works. A creative might open as if it’s a chess ad, only for viewers to realize it’s actually a puzzle game. The genre flip is the hook. People stay because their brain wants to resolve the mismatch.
Adding cute animals to the core visual of an ad is still one of the most reliable attention grabs.
One of the strongest versions of this trend is the “free the cute animals” setup. Put them behind ice or inside blocks and viewers instantly feel the urge to rescue them. No explanation needed (and no animals were harmed in the making of this concept).
For Gen Z and especially Gen Alpha, meeting people in games is normal. Creatives can tap into that mindset.
Casual PvP moments, light social competition, voice chat and the whole “you won’t believe who I met in a match” vibe are part of their everyday behavior. If it fits the game, you can build a creative around that motivation.
6. Mixing attributes from completely different genres
Adding unexpected elements is a well-tested trick in content creation.
Take a pure card game and give it football jerseys. The logic is missing, but the fun is there. Place football players at the table, frame the scene like a match and suddenly the creative feels chaotic in the best possible way. It injects energy without touching the game mechanics.
“The most effective ads next year will look like content people choose to watch. The audience won’t see it as an interruption if the creative works as entertainment, or even light edutainment. Teams that borrow from culture and tweak their formats with that in mind will simply perform better. For creative production, this means having a pipeline for fast concept prototyping and staying close to player feedback.”
Sergey Orlov VP of Growth Marketing at Appodeal
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