New York Lottery Case Study
The client looked to our team to develop their new mobile ad game concept that advertises their Price is Right themed scratch-off card. The game that we were tasked to recreate was Plinko. They provided our team with some visual elements for the game. However, they looked for our expertise when it came to developing the user experience. The user would be served this ad in a mobile web or inApp environment.
Price is Right, PLinko - Version 1
Design Breakdown
Challenge: Recreate Plinko as Full-Screen Mobile Advertisement
Initial Title Screen - The “come on down” slogan lockup and plinko logo were used at the beginning to introduce the user to the game they are about to play.
Gameplay - The user is prompted to shake their device in order to drop the plinko chip down the board at the position of their choosing. The shaking action was utilized since this movement mimics the user having to use their hand if they were to be actually completing this action in real life. If the user does not shake but remains in the ad, the chip fell after it traveled back and forth three times. This kept the game moving bringing the user closer to the endpage content. Each chip had a pre-determined path so they would fall in the same bucket no matter what point the user shook their device. This would mean that every user was guaranteed a winner and ensures that they felt positive about the brand afterwards. The pre-determined paths also made the game development less complex on the backend while still making it feel like the user had full control throughout. This is important since mobile ads need to adhere to certain file weights, specs and complexity due to the environment they run in.
Transition to Endpage - Once the user received the prompt that they’ve won, they are then transitioned to the endpage of the ad by having the Price is Right doors come in from the sides. The transition helps keep the unit visually stimulating in order to keep the user engaged until the final page of content.
Endpage - The endpage included all the necessary branding and visual elements in order to advertise the new Price is Right scratch-off card, including the scratch-off card image itself. There was a clear call-to-action labeled “learn more” in order for the user to have the ability to read more about the product on the client’s website. It also included their score from the game so they have another chance to view it if they missed it on the game play page.
Results
Engagement Rate - 2.1% Benchmark - 3-5%
After launching this ad and reporting on it for just over a week, we noticed that the engagement rate was below our usual benchmark. This was an issue since this client’s main KPI for the campaign was, in fact, engagement rate. The low percentage we were seeing could be due to a number of factors including targeting and/or inventory restrictions required by the client. Since these factors were not flexible, we offered a design update in order to improve the engagement rate.
Price is Right, PLinko - Version 2 - Design Update
Design Update Breakdown
Challenge: Improve Engagement Rate from Version 1
Removed Initial Title Screen - It was concluded that the original design delayed the start of the game play because of this title screen. The user was not able to interact until about 5 seconds after the ad was served. By removing this element, the interaction is now at the forefront right when the ad loads ultimately creating a better chance for the user to play rather than X out. The Plinko logo was included on the game board instead.
Game Play, Initial Animation - Since the title screen was removed, the start of the game play was reworked as well. Upon the ad’s load, the first chip was already in motion across the top of the board. This eliminated the time needed to animate the chip into the board. It also created a visual that would attract the user while also getting them to understand how the game functions from the first second they are exposed with the ad.
Game Play, Shake Vs. Tap - In this game concept, it was concluded that shaking your device is a more difficult action than the usual tap. We removed the shake (gyroscope) functionality from the design and replaced it was a tap. Upon the ad load, the first prompt that appeared over top of the game board was the instructions, “tap here to drop your Plinko chip.” The animation, the centered alignment, and bold “tap here” font allows for the user’s eyes to land on this first in order for them to understand what is expected of them within the first second. Although the prompt stated “tap here” in the center of the screen, the click area for the interaction covered the majority of the screen which accounted for both left and right handed users and multiple hand placements on the device.
Transition to Endpage - Remained the same as previous version
Endpage - Remained the same as previous version
Results
Engagement Rate - 7.3% Benchmark - 3-5%
After re-launching this new version of the ad, the engagement rate increased by about 5% and exceeded our benchmark. The client was very happy with the results since their KPI was met. Due to the success for this campaign, NY Lottery became a returning client and booked another campaign with us.
Key Takeaways
When designing a mobile ad for a client that is measuring success off of engagement rate, be sure to make it simple for the user to understand
Lead the user’s eyes to what’s most important
Make it easy for the user to interact within the first couple seconds upon the ad’s load
Game ads are effective to produce high engagement rates, but only if they are simple and get to the point
Consistent branding throughout is necessary so the user knows why they are playing the game (for what brand)
Tapping is easier than shaking if the game concept allows for it
Cashword Campaign
The takeaways from the Price is Right campaign was then applied to the next campaign that this client ran with us for their scratch-off, Cashword. The wanted to recreate a similar idea to the actual scratch-off game itself by allowing users to construct words letter by letter.
Winning Scenario
Losing Scenario
Design Breakdown
Challenge: Create a game that allows users to guess synonyms of the word “cash”
Game Instructions - “Guess the Synonyms” appears on screen first followed by the flashing highlight of the word “cash".” This animation of these elements allows the users eyes to read and understand the game concept. The letter tiles appear just after allowing their eyes to travel down to the game board next to get ready to play.
Game Play - Since this is an ad, the game needs to remain easy and simple. The user is given 30 seconds to guess three words. The first word includes three letters that are prefixed so they can get a hang of the concept. The user must drag the letter to the correct tile space. The way the letter tiles are placed on the game board as well as the visual design of the empty tile spaces allows the user to understand how they are meant to interact with the game. The second and third words increase in difficulty with less letters prefixed. If the user drags a tile to the wrong space, the letter will shake back and forth to indicate the mistake and move back to it’s original spot on the board. If the user completes the three word puzzles within the 30 seconds, they receive a “winner” prompt and advance to the endpage content. If they run out of time, they receive a “times up” response and are asked to try again on the actual scratch-off card. This allows the user to feel better about the brand to encourage them to play again while also pushing them towards purchasing.
Endpage - The endpage layout advertises the actual scratch-off card product and relates it back to the game the user had just played. The call to action that reads “learn more” is moved up and centered to put more focus on it. This allows the user to notice the option to redirect to the client’s site if they are interested in the product.