You’re stuck in line at the coffee shop, tapping your foot while the person in front of you debates the benefits of oat versus almond milk. To pass the time, you pull out your phone and open your favorite mobile game. You’re zoning out, crushing candies or stacking blocks, when a pop-up appears. Normally, you’d groan—ugh, another ad—but this one…this one feels different. It’s a challenge: “Can you steer the rocket through the incoming asteroids in under 30 seconds?”

Curious, you tap to try. Suddenly, you’re swiping and dodging, narrowly avoiding collisions while racking up points. Before you know it, you’ve landed the rocket safely—and bam, you’ve just engaged with an ad for a new energy drink. But here’s the kicker: it didn’t feel like an ad. It felt like a fun li’l break in your day. You might not even realize it yet, but the brand just earned a sweet spot in the corner of your mind. 

This is the magic of playable ads—they don’t interrupt; they invite. Instead of throwing another banner or unskippable video in your face, they hand you the controls and say, “Here, give it a go.” And the thing is…they work.

In that rocket game, users spent an average of 45 seconds playing—nearly triple the time spent on static ads. Click-through rates soared 30%, and brand recall? A whopping 2.5 times higher than your run-of-the-mill ad formats. It’s not just advertising; it’s engagement on a whole new level.

So, why are these ads so effective? It’s all about the psychology of play. Think about the last time you nailed a high score or crushed a tough level in a game—remember that little rush of excitement? That’s dopamine at work, giving you a mental fist bump. Playable ads tap into that same feeling by offering bite-sized, satisfying challenges. And the result? Positive vibes that linger long after the game (and the ad) ends.

At Admazing, we’ve perfected the art of creating these experiences. Our Games IQ™ Engine is like a mind reader for gamers. It analyzes what people like to play, how they behave in games, and what keeps them coming back for more. Then we take those learnings and build games/ads for brands that feel more like bonus levels than interruptions. Whether someone is into puzzle games or high-speed racing, Games IQ™ ensures the ad blends seamlessly into the gameplay.

And that’s how you win in an “attention economy”. In a world with so much content: social media posts, videos, memes, ads and news–everyone is fighting for attention. The value of our time and focus has skyrocketed because it’s the key to driving profits.

It’s about understanding your audience and creating meaningful content they want to engage with. And with the average person spending five years of their life waiting in lines (according to the Los Angeles Times), providing a little more “play time” could be just the thing we’re all looking for. 

To learn more about playable ads and the neuroscience behind them, check out this 9-minute podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/32I4j7RVFVR4X9r0F7mZBv?si=PaIT4eEYQ9erQklntB9DgA&t=14

SOURCES: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-15-tm-657-story.html