Ava Savitsky

Soft launch is not the time to get widely experimental with creatives yet, but you do want to test various unique concepts: at least 3 videos and a few statics. Since the creatives are used in multiple countries, you don’t want text-heavy concepts that rely on English fluency.

During the soft launch phase, the creative team produces the first UA creatives and starts getting some data back. They usually go with creatives that have a wide appeal and focus on the game's key moments. You start building your brand and work toward consistency, but it is also an important time to stay flexible and open-minded based on the data coming in.

This development stage is a great time to build all the creatives you will need for a soft launch and any “coming soon” assets (hype trailer, pre-reg landing page, community building assets or announcements, etc.). It’s OK if you don’t have a lot of assets yet, you need to focus on the most exciting ones and the key moments in the gameplay.

Before you go to market, test any core gameplay loops and other features that are still in development or that you’re considering developing: A/B test their viability via creatives before you go to market to see what resonates with your audience. You can save a lot of time and development cycles.

Divide your creative production cycles with a 60/40 split:

• 60% on iterations (new variables, get granular on characters to show, best end cards, CTAs, etc.)

• 40% on new concepts to find creative breakout winners (give designers a lot of freedom)

Retargeting is also a great opportunity to promote new content (e.g., new levels, new characters) and welcome-back offers.

For retargeting, static ads are very good to present specific offers, something you want users to get immediately. Video is a better way to showcase new content.