BuruBuru Do-butsu
match 3 pet care game (LINE, iOS, Android)
BuruBuru Do-butsu has an effortlessly cute, funny, doodly stickerboard-like visual quality, which is a great foundation to build marketing assets on.
Regardless of the medium or the format, BuruBuru Do-butsu's marketing always flourished when the pets were doing something cute, silly and/or appealing for your help…
Don’t leave me alone! Help me! I’m hungry! I’m stuck! All you have to do is tap the screen!
Initial marketing for this title consisted of the usual suspects—static and video ads with decent success—but early experiments with a banner placement in LINE's chat feature showed promise. These placements supported animated APNGs paired with a caption, opening up endless testing and creative possibilities. We leaned into a messenger sticker aesthetic that felt native to LINE's chat environment. This format became our bread and butter.
Iterating off the data revealed some surprising results. Japanese LINE users really seemed to resonate with pets dancing in underwear in a 3×2 grid.
Garden Match
match 3 gardening game (LINE)
Below are some more APNGs that were tested on LINE. Aiming to mimic BuruBuru's successes, I created chibi versions of Garden Match's 3D gardener and bee characters from scratch to create some fun dance loops.
Room Design
social decorating game (Facebook)
There's something inherently personal and meditative about design games. What do our tastes and styles say about us? The split concepts for Room Design were a winning formula for clicks.
Board Masters
social board game adventure (Facebook)
Playco's answer to Monopoly GO! This title had a chaotic, vibrant aesthetic that lent itself to some really fun, dynamic ads. The static featuring the woman with the mustache and top hat was one of our higher performers—she was a true Board Master.
Fashion Life
choose-your-own-adventure game (Facebook)
In all honesty, I'm not quite sure what became of this game or if it ever actually, officially launched. Either way, these were a lot of fun to make. I love bite sized storytelling.
Everwing
shoot'm up game (Facebook)
Thug Life
casual casino adventure game (Facebook, iOS, Android)
Take Coin Master, splice it with Grand Theft Auto, and you get a pretty successful Facebook instant game. I learned a lot from making ads for Thug Life. For one, never underestimate people's love for astrology and dogs in silly outfits. I never imagined I would have chihuahuas dressed up and haphazardly designated astrological signs featured on my portfolio—in fact, I probably shouldn't—however that static was one of the cheapest, best performing ads we ever ran for any game during my time at Playco.
What else? When in doubt, make your subject a silhouette and add a "?" for instant intrigue. Want an ad that's sure to perform well year-round? Make it Halloween themed. People LOVE Halloween.
Advertising for Thug Life was a case study in what exists within the gulf between good design and taste versus what actually inspires people to click. Occasionally the two sides would align, but more often than not, the results of the weekly creative tests would reveal something baffling about the state of the human psyche at large. We could never hope to understand it—after all, what worked for Thug Life wouldn't necessarily work for another title. We could only hope to follow the data...
Trip Royale
casual casino adventure game (LINE, iOS, Android)
Take Coin Master, splice it with Japanese tourism, and you get... Trip Royale! The statics featuring tiny plots in the palms of hands performed well, and I maintain that the suitcase full of Japanese landmarks and objects is one of the most pleasant images I created during my time at Playco.
Slippy Cat
endless runner game (Facebook instant game)
You drag a laser to guide a manic cat in hot pursuit through an endless gauntlet of holes, vases, and washing machines full of money. Weird ads for a weird game. These statics are 100% guilty pleasure.
(All original art and IP belongs to its respective owners. I do not claim ownership of original art assets and IP that belong to Playco Global, Inc.)