YouTube is one of the most popular and influential online platforms in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users and over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute. For mobile game developers and publishers, YouTube is a vital channel to reach and engage potential players, as well as to showcase their games’ features and quality. However, with so many competitors and options, how can they stand out and optimize their advertising strategies on YouTube?
This is where AppGrowing, a leading ad strategy analytics platform, comes in handy. AppGrowing provides comprehensive and real-time data and insights on mobile game ads across various channels, including YouTube. By using AppGrowing, mobile game marketers can discover the latest trends, best practices, and creative ideas for their YouTube campaigns, as well as benchmark their performance against their rivals.
In this article, we will analyze the data and content from AppGrowing on the top mobile games that advertised on YouTube from 2023-11-19 to 2023-12-19, and explore the possible reasons behind each piece of data. We will also highlight the three YouTube new ads with the highest estimated impression, according to AppGrowing’s proprietary algorithm.
The Top Mobile Games by Ad Volume on YouTube
From 2023-11-19 to 2023-12-19, AppGrowing analyzed 12,587 mobile games that advertised on YouTube. These mobile games used a total of 195,923 ad creatives to create 582,748 ads.
Among them, the mobile game with the highest ad volume was Genshin Impact, with 5,522 ads mainly advertised through YouTube in Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Canada…(50). Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG developed by miHoYo, published by miHoYo in mainland China and worldwide by Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse. It was released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows in 2020, on PlayStation 5 in 2021. The game features a fantasy world called Teyvat, where players can explore seven nations, meet a diverse cast of characters, and fight powerful enemies.
Source: AppGrowing
Genshin Impact’s high ad volume on YouTube can be attributed to several factors, such as:
The game’s high quality and popularity, as it has received positive reviews from critics and players, and has won several awards, such as the Google Play Best Game of 2020 and the Apple App Store Game of the Year 2020.
The game’s frequent updates and events, which introduce new characters, stories, features, and collaborations, such as the recent Genshin Impact X Sanxingdui Museum Collaboration Web Event "Ancient Treasures Unearthed".
The game’s global and diverse audience, as it supports multiple languages and regions, and appeals to different cultures and preferences, as evidenced by the wide range of countries where it advertised on YouTube.
Source: AppGrowing
The game’s effective and creative YouTube ads, which showcase the game’s stunning visuals, immersive soundtrack, and exciting gameplay, as well as the game’s unique selling points, such as the elemental combat system and the cross-platform compatibility.
The mobile game with the second highest ad volume was Honkai: Star Rail, with 4,870 ads mainly advertised through YouTube in Korea, Canada, United States, Japan, France…(43). Honkai: Star Rail is a sci-fi action RPG developed by miHoYo, published by miHoYo in mainland China and worldwide by Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse. It is a spin-off of the Honkai Impact 3rd series, and was released for Android and iOS in 2021. The game features a futuristic world where players can control various characters with different abilities and weapons, and fight against the Honkai, a mysterious force that threatens humanity.
Source: AppGrowing
Honkai: Star Rail’s high ad volume on YouTube can be explained by several factors, such as:
The game’s loyal and established fan base, as it is based on the popular Honkai Impact 3rd series, which has over 200 million downloads worldwide.
The game’s innovative and fresh gameplay, as it combines elements of shooting, racing, and parkour, and allows players to customize their characters and vehicles.
The game’s competitive and social features, as it supports multiplayer modes, such as co-op missions, team battles, and guild wars, and integrates with social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.
The game’s catchy and appealing YouTube ads, which highlight the game’s fast-paced action, diverse scenarios, and cool characters, as well as the game’s benefits, such as the free download and the generous rewards.
Source: AppGrowing
The mobile game with the third highest ad volume was PUBG MOBILE, with 4,716 ads mainly advertised through YouTube in Malaysia, United States, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Thailand…(50). PUBG MOBILE is a battle royale game developed by Tencent Games, published by Tencent Games in mainland China and worldwide by Krafton. It is a mobile version of the original PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and was released for Android and iOS in 2018. The game features a survival mode where up to 100 players parachute onto an island and fight to be the last one standing, as well as other modes, such as arcade, arena, and metro royale.
Source: AppGrowing
PUBG MOBILE’s high ad volume on YouTube can be attributed to several factors, such as:
The game’s massive and global popularity, as it has over 1 billion downloads worldwide, and has won several awards, such as the Google Play Best Game of 2018 and the Golden Joystick Mobile Game of the Year 2018.
The game’s constant updates and events, which add new maps, modes, weapons, vehicles, and skins, as well as collaborations with celebrities and brands, such as BLACKPINK, Godzilla, and McLaren.
The game’s diverse and engaged community, as it supports multiple languages and regions, and encourages players to interact with each other, such as through voice chat, live stream, and social media.
The game’s effective and attractive YouTube ads, which showcase the game’s realistic graphics, thrilling gameplay, and varied content, as well as the game’s advantages, such as the smooth performance and the fair play.
The Top YouTube New Ads by Estimated Impression
According to AppGrowing’s proprietary algorithm, the three YouTube new ads with the highest estimated impression from 2023-11-19 to 2023-12-19 are:
Source: AppGrowing
A In-Feed ad for The Grand Mafia: Phantix Games’s The Grand Mafia created a In-Feed ad with a Square Video on YouTube. According to AppGrowing, this ad started appearing on YouTube on 2023-11-22, and has currently accumulated about 2.3M impression. The Grand Mafia is a strategy game where players can build their own criminal empire, recruit gangsters, fight rivals, and rule the city. The ad features a catchy slogan, “The city is yours for the taking”, and a montage of gameplay scenes, such as building, fighting, and expanding.
Source: AppGrowing
A In-Feed ad for Immortal Taoists - Idle Manga: Entrepreneur Game’s Immortal Taoists - Idle Manga created a In-Feed ad with a Square Video on YouTube. According to AppGrowing, this ad started appearing on YouTube on 2023-12-11, and has currently accumulated about 1.6M impression. Immortal Taoists - Idle Manga is a casual game where players can cultivate their own immortal, explore the world of Wuxia, and collect manga stories. The ad features a humorous voice-over, “Do you want to become an immortal?”, and a series of manga panels, such as flying, fighting, and meditating.
Source: AppGrowing
A In-Feed ad for Viking Rise: IGG’s Viking Rise created a In-Feed ad with a Horizontal Video on YouTube. According to AppGrowing, this ad started appearing on YouTube on 2023-12-06, and has currently accumulated about 1.5M impression. Viking Rise is a simulation game where players can create their own Viking village, recruit warriors, raid enemies, and explore the Norse mythology. The ad features a dramatic narration, “The gods have chosen you to lead your people to glory”, and a cinematic trailer, such as sailing, battling, and building.
These three YouTube new ads have achieved high estimated impression because of their:
Strategic placement and format, as they used the In-Feed ad type, which appears in the user’s home feed, and the Square or Horizontal Video format, which can capture the user’s attention and fit the screen size.
Compelling and relevant content, as they used catchy and enticing phrases, and showed the game’s core features and benefits, as well as the game’s genre and theme, which can appeal to the target audience and their interests.
High quality and creativity, as they used clear and crisp visuals, engaging and immersive sound effects, and original and captivating stories, which can enhance the game’s image and reputation, and differentiate it from other games.
