Pokémon Sleep is a new simulation game that turns your sleep into entertainment. The game uses your smart device or Pokémon GO Plus + peripheral to track and record your sleep data, which affects the gameplay and the types of Pokémon you can encounter. The game was developed by SELECT BUTTON inc. and published by The Pokémon Company, a Japanese company that is responsible for the Pokémon franchise. The game was officially launched on July 14, 2023, after a week of pre-registration.

In this article, we will use the data monitored and collected by AppGrowing, a leading mobile app marketing intelligence platform, to analyze the advertising strategy and performance of Pokémon Sleep. We will look at the following aspects:

• The number and distribution of ads
• The types and formats of ads
• The media and platforms
• The ranking and popularity in different regions

We hope that this article will provide some insights and inspiration for simulation game developers and marketers who want to promote their apps effectively.

01 The number and distribution of ads created by Pokémon Sleep

According to AppGrowing, Pokémon Sleep has created 368 ads in total from July 1 to July 31, 2023, covering 11 areas and 9 media. The areas include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States. The media include Facebook , Google AdMob , YouTube , Twitter , TikTok , Instagram , Pinterest , and etc.

The peak of ad volume in a single day was 135, which appeared on July 21, 2023. This was the day when Pokémon Sleep achieved the highest ranking in many countries’ Google Play charts. As we can see from the chart below, Pokémon Sleep ranked No.1 in 14 countries, including Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Thailand, Taiwan, and United States. It also entered the Top 10 in six other countries: Australia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, and Indonesia.

This suggests that Pokémon Sleep used a burst campaign strategy to boost its visibility and downloads on the launch day. A burst campaign is a short-term intensive advertising campaign that aims to generate a large amount of traffic and exposure for an app in a short period of time. By creating a large number of ads on various platforms and targeting different audiences, Pokémon Sleep was able to increase its organic ranking and word-of-mouth effect.

02 The types and formats of ads used by Pokémon Sleep

AppGrowing also provides detailed information on the types and formats of ads used by Pokémon Sleep. As we can see from the table below, around 89.13% of the ads are mainly in the form of in-feed ads. In-feed ads are ads that appear within the content feed of a platform or app. They are designed to blend in with the surrounding content and look like native posts. In-feed ads are effective for increasing engagement and click-through rates because they do not interrupt the user experience.

The ad creatives are mainly image-based (40.22%). Image-based ads are simple and easy to create and consume. They can convey the key features and benefits of an app with minimal text and visuals. Video-based ads are more dynamic and immersive. They can showcase the gameplay and functionality of an app with sound and motion. Carousel-based ads are interactive and versatile. They can display multiple images or videos in a single ad unit that users can swipe through.

The ad creatives used by Pokémon Sleep are consistent with its brand identity and value proposition. They use bright colors and cute graphics to attract attention and appeal to emotions. They also use catchy slogans and call-to-actions to encourage users to download the app or pre-register for it. Some examples of the ad creatives are shown below.

03 The media and platforms where Pokémon Sleep advertised

AppGrowing also reveals the media and platforms where Pokémon Sleep advertised its app. As we can see from the chart below, Pokémon Sleep advertised mostly on Meta, with a total of over 300 ads. Meta is a social media giant that owns Facebook , Instagram , Messenger , Audience Network, and etc. Meta has 3.65 billion monthly active users across its family of properties as of Q2 2022. Meta also offers a variety of ad formats and targeting options for advertisers to reach their potential customers.

The other platforms where Pokémon Sleep advertised are YouTube , TikTok , MIntegral , AdMob. These platforms are also popular media networks that have large and engaged user bases. They also provide various ad formats and features for advertisers to showcase their apps and drive conversions.

04 Conclusion

Pokémon Sleep is a successful example of a simulation game that leveraged the power of online advertising to boost its launch and popularity. By using AppGrowing’s data and insights, we were able to analyze the advertising strategy and performance of Pokémon Sleep in terms of the number and distribution of ads, the types and formats of ads, and the media and platforms where it advertised.

We hope that this article will help simulation game developers and marketers to learn from Pokémon Sleep’s best practices and optimize their own advertising campaigns.