Gen Z Is Really Paying Attention. Are Brands?
New research from Gameloft for brands and GWI reveals why gaming offers brands an opportunity to earn Gen Z’s attention through meaningful, engaging experiences.
Gen Z is often described as distracted and difficult to reach. However, new research from Gameloft for brands and GWI suggests that the real challenge isn’t a lack of attention, but understanding where this generation chooses to invest it.
According to the Gen Z & Gaming research, Gen Z mobile gamers spend an average of 9 hours and 11 minutes gaming every week, while 76% report being fully or mostly focused during their most recent gaming session. Gaming also provides an important space for social connection: Gen Z gamers are 39% more likely than the average gamer to have played online with friends they know.
Beyond attention, gaming creates meaningful emotional experiences. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of Gen Z gamers felt emotionally engaged during their most recent session, while 50% say mobile gaming makes them feel calm and 44% say it makes them feel happy.
For brands, this represents an opportunity to move beyond traditional advertising formats and become part of experiences audiences actively enjoy. However, attention cannot be taken for granted: 48% of mobile gamers say brand or product placements can fit naturally into gaming, while 31% say in-game ads can disrupt their immersion.
The key is to earn attention rather than interrupt it. This means respecting the player experience, offering a meaningful value exchange and creating opportunities for active participation.
Campaigns such as Burger King x Call of Duty demonstrate the potential of this approach. Using rewarded video, the campaign achieved 97% viewability, a 93% completion rate and an 8% click-through rate. Similarly, a sponsored, limited-time gaming event for Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra generated a 21% participation rate.
These findings highlight why gaming deserves a strategic role in the media mix. Beyond reach and impressions, it can help brands connect with Gen Z through attention, emotion and interaction — creating experiences that audiences have a genuine reason to engage with.
For brands looking to connect with Gen Z, the opportunity is not simply to capture attention, but to create experiences that deserve it.
