According to Sensor Tower, several mid-to-heavy casual mobile games had excellent performances on the November overseas mobile game revenue growth ranking, reaching top positions.

One standout is Saviors Tree: New World, a social MMO launched by Lingxi Games on October 11. The game topped the charts with a forecasted revenue of 120 million RMB in its first month. Following closely was Tencent's SLG game Age of Empires Mobile, also released in October, which reached top downloads across multiple regions on launch day. Other new releases like Capybara Go! from Habby and Dark War Survival from First Fun also performed impressively, standing out in a competitive market.

The success of these new games relies not only on their strong product features but also on effective marketing strategies. In particular, ad creatives play a crucial role during the launch period. How did these hit games attract a global audience through innovative marketing? Let's dive into their advertising strategies to understand their success.

01.Saviors Tree: New World

According to AppGrowing data, "The Tree of Saviors: New World" began its user acquisition campaign on August 26. By mid-October, during its launch period, the campaign reached its peak, with the highest daily ad spend reaching 444 ad sets. Additionally, 8.5% of the ads were new creatives. What's noteworthy is the high reuse rate of advertising materials, with 15.3% of the ads running for more than 15 days.

In terms of ad content type, video ads were the main format, accounting for 58.9% of the campaign's creative materials. Specifically, the most popular video ads were in the 31-60 seconds and 16-30 seconds time slots, with almost equal distribution between the two, comprising 46.1% and 47.9% respectively.

As a social 2D MMO, the game’s marketing strategy blends “localized community influence,” “immediate incentive-driven ads,” and “quality storytelling.” These approaches helped the game quickly attract new players while establishing a strong brand image and expanding into new markets.

1. Localized Influencers: The ads frequently featured local streamers, such as “Ha Geng”, an influencer from Taiwan, China, providing a sense of relatability and regional appeal, particularly targeting local audiences.

2. Reward-Centric Promotions: Ads highlighted in-game gifts, such as exclusive equipment, a strategy designed to tap into players'desire for powerful rewards. This type of incentive-driven material proved highly effective at boosting downloads and registrations.

3. Creative Team Endorsements: The ads also emphasized the high-quality work of the game's music and art teams, building a connection with players by focusing on the game's artistic and cultural value.

02.Capybara Go!

Capybara Go! took a more strategic approach with its ad spending. During the early phase from August to September, the game opted for low-frequency, consistent ad buys to test the market. It wasn't until mid-October, after confirming the effectiveness of its strategy, that it increased its ad spend. During peak periods, the game ran over 3,000 ads daily.

Video ads made up 90.3% of the total ad content, with images representing only 9.19%. The most popular video length was 31-60 seconds, accounting for 63.7%, followed by 16-30 seconds at 27.8%.

The ads included a mix of content types:

1. Gameplay Highlights: These ads focused on action-packed scenes, showcasing full-screen monster kills and powerful attack abilities, designed to appeal to players who enjoy fast-paced combat.

2. Humor and Cultural References: Some ads incorporated popular memes and cultural references, such as the“Reply 1988” TV series meme and Japanese bowing apology culture. These elements resonated with Asian players, increasing emotional engagement with the content.

3. Localized Influencer Marketing: Ads also featured local KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), leveraging their influence to extend the game's reach within specific communities.

03.Dark War Survival

Dark War Survival followed a steady and gradual marketing approach. Although it launched on September 5, its major advertising push began in mid-October. By then, the game’s overseas revenue had reached approximately 40 million RMB, making it the only SLG game to surpass 30 million in October. Its strong revenue performance was mirrored by increased ad spending, with over 1,000 ads running daily during the peak period.

Video ads accounted for 90.8% of its total ad spend, while image-based ads made up only 8.8%. The most common video lengths were 31-60 seconds (55.6%) and 16-30 seconds (40.8%).

One notable tactic in Dark War Survival's ads was the use of AI-generated content combined with narrative-driven storytelling. By leveraging AI to generate post-apocalyptic survival scenes and pairing them with compelling storytelling, the game’s ads offered a highly immersive experience that highlighted its unique theme. This strategy not only drew players in but also provided a quick and cost-effective way to produce engaging visual content.

AI-generated ads also enhanced the game's ability to convey complex gameplay mechanics and background stories, thereby increasing user engagement and boosting conversion rates. This technique allowed for rapid scaling of visual content, shortening production timelines and reducing costs.

Conclusion

The marketing strategies behind the success of Saviors Tree: New World, Capybara Go!, and Dark War Survival reveal how the use of video ads, influencer marketing, and creative localization can significantly impact the global success of mobile games. By aligning their marketing strategies with player preferences and regional cultural nuances, these games have successfully captured the attention of players around the world.

As the mobile gaming market continues to expand, innovative use of video content, AI-generated assets, and localized influencer partnerships will remain key to driving success in new and diverse markets, making global marketing strategy crucial for continued growth.