[Webinar] Beyond Clickbait: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of Mobile Game Ads

Are shocking, disgusting, and absurd mobile game ads just a necessary evil — or a creative shortcut we can outgrow? In our recent webinar, Alexandra Pulinets (Creative Strategist at AppAgent) and Polina Baeva (Head of Marketing & PR at Apptica) dove into the dark psychology behind “ugly” mobile ads — and explored what makes them work, when they go too far, and how to create high-performing alternatives that respect the player.

Here are the key insights from the session:

🔍 Ugly Ads Work — But Not Always for the Right Reasons

• Disturbing creatives thrive on shock, curiosity, and confusion — emotions that override logic and trigger clicks.
• High CTR (click-through rate) is rewarded by ad networks, causing these ads to snowball in visibility and reach.
• But clicks don’t always mean conversions — and they rarely build long-term player retention or brand trust.

🧠 The Psychology of Disgust & Attention

• The brain treats disturbing content as a “learning signal”, forcing us to remember it for survival purposes.
• This explains why disturbing ads can feel sticky and intrusive — especially for younger audiences who encounter them by accident.
• Yet, benign masochism (like watching horror or true crime) helps explain why some people are still drawn to these ads — even when they find them disturbing.

📈 What the Data Says

• Apptica’s Creative Score tracks ad performance across 12M+ apps and 160M+ creatives.
• In some cases, disturbing ads do outperform traditional ones in terms of engagement.
• However, context matters: the same shock-based mechanic may boost one game, but flop in another.

🚫 The Problem With Age Targeting

• Age verification in mobile is practically nonexistent.
• Kids often play from parents’ accounts or fake birth years — making them accidental recipients of violent or sexualized ads.
• Ads that would never air on TV are freely distributed on mobile — with no regulation or real oversight.

🧑🏻‍⚖️ Should These Ads Be Regulated?

• In most regions, there’s no legal barrier to prevent disturbing ads — except in rare cases (e.g. UK bans on violence or sexual content).
• Panelists agreed: mobile ads should be regulated at least as strictly as TV, if not more.
• Until then, brands must self-regulate to avoid reputational damage — especially with potential partners and parents.

✔️ What Are the Alternatives?

Alexandra introduced five creative frameworks to engage users without resorting to shock:

1. Storytelling – Build intrigue with character arcs and mystery.
2. Oddly Satisfying – Use sync, flow, or visual harmony to trigger positive dopamine.
3. Progress & Mastery – Showcase moments of achievement.
4. Music & Rhythm – Use sound to build familiarity and joy.
5. “I’m So Smart” Mechanics – Let the user feel clever and competent.

⚡️ Key Takeaway

Shock is easy. Quality is harder — but worth it.
As David Ogilvy put it:

“The consumer isn’t a moron. She’s your wife.”

Respect your audience. Raise the bar.

🎬 Final Thought

You can create high-performing mobile ads that spark engagement without traumatizing players. The tools are there. The data is clear. And the creative bar? Still very low. Let’s raise it — together.

Check the full replay of the webinar here 👈🏻