The mobile advertising landscape has transformed dramatically over the last decade. With smartphones at the center of daily life and app ecosystems expanding rapidly, user acquisition costs continue to rise while attention spans fragment. For advertisers, this means innovating faster than ever with new ad formats and smarter strategies.
In 2025, the global mobile advertising market is not only scaling up—it's also shaped by five key trends:
· The dominance of video ads
· Interactive and immersive ad experiences
· Explosive growth of UGC and AIGC content
· Creative assets that are “simple yet impactful”
· The rise of open web advertising
Let's break down each of these trends and explore how they unlock user growth.
1. Video Ads Dominate Mobile Marketing
Video advertising is now the core driver of user acquisition and monetization. Compared to static formats, video delivers stronger storytelling and engagement.
· Gaming apps rely heavily on rewarded videos (watch ads to earn rewards) and interstitials for mass reach in casual and hyper-casual genres.
· E-commerce apps use short videos to showcase product scenarios, boosting conversion.
· Utility apps leverage quick demos to explain value within seconds.
Pro tip: Keep videos short and engaging—6–15 seconds is the sweet spot in 2025.
Video ads dominate in gaming apps, with rising proportion across other apps
2. Interactive & Immersive Ad Formats
Users increasingly expect hands-on experiences instead of one-way messages. This has fueled growth in interactive ads, particularly playable ads.
· Playable ads let users try core gameplay before downloading, with conversion rates 30% higher than static or video ads.
· Non-gaming apps also benefit. Finance apps simulate investments, while fitness apps use quizzes for personalized plans.
Playable ad showcase for a mobile game
Interactive ads not only increase installs but also reduce post-download churn.
3. UGC & AIGC Content Explosion
Content creation is accelerating with two major forces:
· UGC (User-Generated Content): Authentic clips on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other platforms act as peer recommendations, offering high trust and virality.
· AIGC (AI-Generated Content): AI now generates ad copy, short videos, voiceovers, and multilingual variations in record time—cutting costs and enabling large-scale A/B testing.
Kingsshot —— Realistic oil painting AI creatives building a medieval epic vibe, with 200K+ ad exposure
Case study: The mobile game Kingshot deploys 2,000+ AI creatives daily, proving how automation is transforming performance marketing.
4. Creative Assets: Simple Yet Effective
With rising ad costs, creative quality is the single biggest ROI driver. Nielsen reports that creative impacts nearly 49% of ad performance.
Two winning formats stand out:
· Fail Scenario Ads: Showing players repeatedly failing triggers curiosity and the urge to “do better,” leading to higher downloads.
Royal Match failure-ending creatives
· MetaPlay Ads: Mini-games like “rescue the princess” or “fix the house” engage users with simple mechanics while hinting at core gameplay.
SLG game Last War: Survival ads feature "runner-shooter" +gate-choice" meta gameplay
The lesson: In 2025, ads don't need to be complex—they need to hit user psychology precisely.
5. The Rise of Open Web Advertising
Beyond walled gardens (Google, Meta, TikTok), open web advertising is becoming a major growth channel. This includes placements across:
· Independent apps
· Utility and productivity tools
· News and content platforms
· Niche video platforms
User time spent on the open Internet is on the rise
NetMarvel, a global performance marketing leader, is at the forefront of this shift. With access to 100M+ monthly active users, 500+ owned products, and exclusive DSP/media resources, it enables advertisers to reach high-value users across the open web—balancing branding and performance.
NetMarvel user acquisition solution
Mobile advertising in 2025 is more dynamic, personalized, and tech-driven than ever before. Key takeaways:
· Video ads are the foundation of scalable user acquisition.
· Interactive formats deliver deeper engagement and higher conversion.
· UGC and AIGC are reshaping content creation at scale.
· Simple, psychology-driven creatives maximize ROI.
· Open web advertising unlocks new audiences outside walled gardens.
For advertisers, success in 2025 means combining creativity, technology, and data-driven distribution—and partnering with experts who can navigate this fast-changing ecosystem.
