Attention & Emotion in Play: The New Formula for Advertising Effectiveness
Gaming is establishing itself as a key environment for generating quality attention and emotional connection.
In the midst of a saturated digital ecosystem, where users are exposed to constant advertising messages throughout the day, brands face a paradox: it has never been easier to reach audiences, yet it has never been harder to create a genuine connection. The proliferation of formats, platforms, and content has caused attention to fade more quickly, making it necessary to rethink what it truly means to be effective in advertising.
In this context, the Attention & Emotion in Play study offers a new perspective focused not only on capturing attention, but also on understanding its quality and its direct relationship with emotion. Developed by Gameloft for brands in collaboration with Mediamento and Act Future, the whitepaper is based on a methodology that combines eye-tracking analysis and biometric emotional measurement to study the impact of advertising in mobile gaming environments.
The study explores how these environments generate deeper levels of attention and more positive emotional responses than traditional digital contexts. Through quantitative data and biometric signals collected during real advertising exposure scenarios, the report demonstrates how in-game advertising can create more memorable, immersive, and effective brand experiences for today's audiences.
From Visibility to Real Impact
The growth of the digital landscape has led to an overload of stimuli. Social media, video platforms, and websites all compete simultaneously for increasingly scarce seconds of attention. Although brands continue to achieve high levels of reach, this does not necessarily translate into real impact.
José María Cerrillo, Head of AdSales LATAM at Gameloft for brands, explained that the industry has built its metrics on an incomplete foundation. The focus has been on how much an ad is seen, rather than how it is experienced, and that is where the problem begins. For years, attention was considered the primary indicator of advertising success. However, this approach has begun to show its limitations in an environment where users may see content without actually processing it.
According to Cerrillo, simply placing an advertisement in front of someone does not mean it has created a meaningful impact. Without emotion, attention becomes fleeting. This perspective suggests that effectiveness cannot be measured solely through impressions or views, but through the ability to generate a deeper response. "Decades of neuroscience research demonstrate that emotion plays a fundamental role in how people process information, what they remember, and how they make decisions. In advertising, emotion is not a 'soft' metric, it is a performance driver."
Active Attention vs. Passive Attention
One of the study's main findings was the difference between passive and active attention. The former occurs when users are simply exposed to content, while the latter involves conscious and sustained engagement.
In many digital environments, attention is constantly interrupted by external elements such as skip buttons, notifications, or the temptation to switch to different content. This limits the ability of advertising messages to generate impact.
By contrast, environments that keep users focused provide a more valuable interaction, where messages are more likely to be remembered.
Gaming as a High-Quality Environment
In this context, gaming has positioned itself as a differentiated channel. Unlike other digital media, video games require active participation, decision-making, and continuous emotional engagement. "Unlike passive environments, gaming creates sustained and intentional attention. Players actively participate rather than simply being exposed, resulting in up to 30% more attentive exposure compared to traditional digital media," said José María Cerrillo.
In addition, the absence of distractions allows advertising to integrate more organically into the experience, keeping users focused on the message.
Emotion: The Factor That Drives Results
Beyond attention, the element that truly makes the difference is emotion. Gameloft for brands' Attention & Emotion in Play study demonstrates that emotional experiences have a direct impact on memory and decision-making. In gaming, this dimension becomes particularly relevant because users do not simply observe content—they experience it in real time through challenges, rewards, and achievements. "Emotion is what transforms attention into memory and action. When advertising is placed within emotionally meaningful moments, it becomes more relevant, memorable, and effective."
Results That Go Beyond Engagement
The Attention & Emotion in Play study highlights the tangible impact of combining attention and emotion. It recorded increases of up to 35% in brand affinity compared with pre-roll ads, as well as a 25% increase in ad recall and a 12.8% increase in purchase intent.
In addition, gaming generated up to 22.3% stronger emotional responses than traditional video formats and sustained attention levels of up to 92%. The study also identified improvements of up to 91% in brand recall, 29% in brand consideration, and 24% in purchase intent compared with other digital formats.
These findings demonstrate that combining active attention with emotional connection can translate into tangible business outcomes."By combining attention and emotion, gaming delivers measurable business results, including significant increases in ad recall, brand consideration, and purchase intent."
LATAM: Demanding Audiences, New Opportunities
According to Gameloft for brands' Head of AdSales LATAM, this shift in approach is particularly relevant in Latin America. The advertising market faces growing efficiency challenges, while audiences are becoming increasingly selective. "Users scroll quickly, skip quickly, and ignore any content they perceive as intrusive. However, when they choose to engage, as they do in gaming, they engage fully," explained Cerrillo.
In countries such as Mexico, mobile-first behavior dominates digital consumption, and this contrast is particularly important: low tolerance for interruptions, but high engagement when the experience is relevant.
COMBO!: A Key Channel in the Media Mix
Despite its continued growth, gaming remains underutilized by many brands across the region. While some advertisers have already integrated it into their media strategies, others still view it as a secondary channel.
However, its scale and effectiveness increasingly position it as a key component of the media mix. Through solutions such as COMBO!, Gameloft for brands' digital ecosystem enables brands to reach up to 1.3 billion monthly active users worldwide, combining massive reach with high levels of attention and engagement.
The Attention & Emotion in Play study from Gameloft for brands reveals that gaming is no longer a niche channel. It has established itself as a key environment where brands can connect with audiences during moments of high attention and emotional impact across a wide variety of gaming experiences, combining scale with performance. More than simply delivering advertising exposure, gaming enables brands to build deeper connections with consumers and, most importantly, remain in their memory.
This article was originally published by Merca2.0, you can read the full article here.
