Theorycraft Games

The objective

Engaging and building anticipation

Theorycraft Games launched a TikTok campaign in October 2024 to promote the demo of their new combat strategy game, SUPERVIVE, described as a "MOBA Battle Royale meets Hero Shooter" during Steam's New Fest Week.

Theorycraft Games' primary goal included generating visibility and building anticipation and hype for SUPERVIVE's upcoming beta launch in November 2024.

A key focus was reaching the right audiences, particularly hardcore gamers, while also engaging a broader gaming audience on TikTok. By tapping into the platform's vibrant gaming community, the client sought to create excitement and foster a connection with audiences who share a passion for gaming.

The solution

AI-Optimization for enhanced performance

To promote SUPERVIVE's pre-launch and achieve campaign objectives, Theorycraft Games implemented a week-long strategic advertising approach using Spark Ads within a Smart+ Campaign, focused on maximizing reach and traffic. Smart+ is TikTok's new AI-powered automation solution designed to help campaigns achieve better performance results and operational efficiency. This approach enabled the algorithm to identify and engage optimal audiences, enhancing click-through rates (CTR) and overall campaign performance.

TikTok recommended leveraging creator content to boost engagement and authenticity. By diversifying creatives and conducting A/B testing with both Smart+ and non-Smart+ campaigns, the team was able to optimize results. The campaign featured TikTok-specific creatives with two creators using gameplay footage, creating an immersive experience aligned with TikTok's ethos of "spark creativity" and fostering deeper, more authentic engagement with target audiences.

The results

2nd most-played game on Steam Next Fest

Spanning key global markets, including the United States, Canada, and the Nordics, SUPERVIVE's campaign delivered impressive results, highlighting the effectiveness of TikTok’s Smart+ Campaign approach. The Smart+ Campaign achieved a 2.4% CTR, significantly outperforming the 1.1% CTR of the regular campaign.

SUPERVIVE's engagement rate of 5.5% significantly outperformed benchmarks, with campaign-wide impressions totaling 21 million. These impressive results demonstrate the impact of combining automated solutions with targeted advertising and creator content for optimized outcomes.

In addition to solid engagement metrics, SUPERVIVE emerged as the 2nd most-played game out of nearly 3,000 titles during Steam Next Fest in October 2024, showcasing its strong reception within the gaming community. The campaign's reach effectively tapped into TikTok’s vibrant gaming audience and generated significant anticipation for the upcoming beta launch in November.