Games Expand Attention and Emotional Connection for Brands

Gameloft for brands launches the “Attention and Emotion in Play” study on the impact of gaming advertising on attention and purchase intent compared with traditional digital formats

Gaming has established itself as one of the most effective digital environments for generating quality attention and emotional connections with consumers. This is according to the “Attention and Emotion in Play” study, launched by Combo! Gameloft for brands, which analyzes the impact of advertising in gaming compared with traditional digital formats.

The study explores how advertisers can use gameplay moments to build deeper connections with Gen Z, Millennials, families and consumers. To do so, it combines eye-tracking and emotional measurement to show how interaction within games increases audience focus, strengthens brand recall, increases consideration and encourages consumer action. This dynamic guides Gameloft for brands’ approach to developing advertising solutions integrated into players’ experiences.

The emotional engagement generated by the gaming experience can increase the audience’s connection with brands by up to 30%, compared with traditional digital media, according to Gameloft for brands.

Gameloft for brands positions gaming as a strategic media channel

The gaming industry is one of the leading platforms for connecting with consumers and is attracting increasing levels of advertising investment. Last year, it generated around US$200 billion, according to Newzoo. At the forefront of this movement, Gameloft for brands uses the study to position gaming as a strategic media channel capable of combining scale, quality attention, emotional engagement and clear performance metrics for brands. More than reach, the sector offers an environment where attention is voluntary, active and connected to the dynamics of games.

In a scenario of increasingly fragmented audiences and declining attention to traditional formats, gaming is gaining ground in brands’ media planning. The company’s analysis indicates that simply capturing consumer attention is no longer enough to guarantee advertising effectiveness.

To generate impact, brands need to establish emotional connections with their audiences — a movement that gains strength in environments such as gaming, where the absence of interruptions keeps messages integrated into the player’s experience.

According to Pietro Garutti, Ad Sales Executive at Gameloft for brands, attention is only the starting point in the relationship between brands and consumers. The differentiator of gaming lies in its ability to transform engagement into an active experience, keeping users not only focused but also emotionally connected to the dynamics of the environment. “Digital games are the only media environment where emotion is not simply observed, but lived. Users stop being spectators and become part of the story, experiencing challenges, rewards and achievements in real time,” he says.

According to the “Attention and Emotion in Play” study, when comparing campaigns integrated into gaming with pre-roll video formats, video games deliver stronger results across key brand metrics, including increases in advertising recall (+25%), purchase intent (+12.8%) and brand affinity (+35%).

COMBO!: the largest global in-game media network for brands

To connect advertisers with players at global scale, Gameloft for brands created COMBO!, the largest global in-game media network in the market. The ecosystem connects advertisers with players through premium formats integrated into mobile, PC and console experiences.

This solution combines the expertise of one of the world’s largest mobile game publishers with native integrations that enhance the quality of brand communication by avoiding intrusive advertising or abrupt disruptions to the experience, ensuring full respect for the gamer experience.

The solution reaches 1.3 billion monthly active users worldwide and operates in a controlled environment, with standards for transparency, viewability and fraud prevention. For advertisers, this means the ability to activate global campaigns with creative consistency, brand safety and operational efficiency through a single partner. “When 75% of the population plays games, as shown by the 13th edition of the ‘Game Brasil’ survey, gaming is no longer a niche and has become part of digital culture. It should be considered a channel as relevant as social media and video, with one crucial difference: it is one of the few environments where attention is real, voluntary and emotionally engaged, while delivering increasingly relevant metrics for the advertising market,” says Garutti.

COMBO! brings together in-game media solutions to integrate brands contextually into the player’s journey.

Brazil increases its relevance in the gaming market

The popularity of titles and the sector’s growth reinforce the country as a strategic hub for advertising in the segment

Brazil generated approximately US$2.6 billion in gaming revenue last year, according to Newzoo, consolidating its position as the largest gaming market in Latin America.

This prominence is reflected in the popularity of titles such as Asphalt Unite, Clash Royale, Candy Crush, Call of Duty Mobile and EA Sports FC Mobile, highlighting the breadth and diversity of the local ecosystem.

“This positions Brazil not only as a major consumer market, but also as one of the most promising territories for the long-term growth of gaming and advertising associated with this universe,” says Pietro Garutti, Ad Sales Executive at Gameloft for brands.

The growth of the market is also reflected in the trajectory of Gameloft for brands, which, over more than 25 years of experience in the sector, has developed projects for more than one hundred brands across different industries, including Disney, Warner, Samsung, Universal, Kellogg’s, Pringles, BetMGM, LEGO, Panini, Mackenzie, HBO, Nestlé and BIC.

Smart interaction between brands and players

Gaming advertising is structured around multiple formats and varies according to the context of use, audience profile and dynamics of each title. These possibilities include rewarded videos, playable ads, branded mini-games and customized native integrations built around the gameplay mechanics themselves. Some of these solutions operate through a value-exchange model, where users receive in-game benefits in exchange for interacting with advertising formats.

Gaming interaction drives brand metrics

One of the cases analyzed in the study is Hyundai’s activation in Asphalt Legends, in which the company was integrated into a global competition linked to the launch of electric vehicles. The campaign reached 1.88 million unique players and generated more than 15 million minutes of engagement, in addition to measurable increases in affinity and desirability. “This is a good example of how gaming connects product narrative, emotion and performance within the same environment,” says Garutti.

According to the study, the emotional engagement generated by the gaming experience can increase the audience’s connection with brands by up to 30%, compared with traditional digital media.

The data also shows that campaigns integrated into gaming experiences can generate significantly stronger results compared with traditional digital benchmarks, including increases of up to +91% in brand recall, +29% in consideration and +24% in purchase intent.

The results reinforce the evolution of video games as an environment capable of bringing together scale, attention and measurable impact within media strategies. “Gaming has moved beyond an experimental space in the media mix and has become a strategic channel for brands looking for quality attention, scale and active engagement,” concludes Garutti.

This article is a summary of the interview originally published by Meio e Mensagem. You can read the full article here.