Which types of in-game advertising do users love (or hate)?

Gamers “can’t stand” video ads. They don’t like banner and display ads either. A new report from data.ai and IDC examines the in-game ad formats most popular with marketers and users. It also confirms that the gaming experience is very much a mobile experience and that consumer spending on mobile gains is set to reach $108 billion this year.

Why we care. For some reason, marketers seem to talk a lot more about social media advertising and CTV advertising than game-based advertising, even though the global gaming audience has surpassed three billion (compared with a global social media audience of almost five billion). There are huge opportunities, especially as this can be a somewhat captive audience once immersed in a game.

The challenge is finding ad formats that aren’t an immediate turn-off for Minecraft addicts or other members of a large and diverse audience.

Dig deeper: In-game advertising: A marketer’s guide

Unpopular with users. Of course, user preferences don’t necessarily signal outright rejection of a particular ad format. But there are some that people really don’t like:

• Although over 80% of users reported seeing in-game banner ads, 24% more users dislike them than like them.
• 85% of users acknowledged seeing in-game video ads; 32% more users dislike them than like them.
• These preference gaps have grown YoY.

Popular with users. Let the audience win something and they’re on your side:

• Rewarded video ads are the most popular of formats with 20% saying they like them. These opt-in ads provide a reward, usually in the context of the game, such as an extra life or more power.
• Playable ads rate second with users; 16% say they like them. These interactive ads give users a chance to sample a mobile game experience before committing to downloading the app. This isn’t just for gaming brands; it’s an opportunity for brands in general to serve playable ads.

Read more about the findings here.