Supercell

The Objective

Boosting awareness and attracting new players for the new title launch

Supercell, a gaming company based in Helsinki, Finland, is renowned for its compelling characters and engaging games that captivate a global audience, including hits like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars. Six years after their last global release, Supercell unveiled Squad Busters.

This mobile action game introduces battle royale dynamics and brings beloved characters from prior games into a new, team-oriented format. 'Squad Busters' is designed to be accessible, catering to both experienced gamers and those new to the genre. The monetization strategy for Squad Busters includes In-App Purchases and in-game currency, enabling players to buy skins, weapons, and other items to enhance their gaming experience.

The primary objective of this launch was to draw in a large, engaged player base. To this end, Supercell collaborated with TikTok, tapping into the platform’s dynamic gaming community and extensive fanbase of previous Supercell games. This partnership was strategically aimed at maximizing visibility and attracting a diverse pool of players to Squad Busters.

The Solution

Maximizing global impact: integrating branding, performance strategies, organic engagement, and innovative creative solutions

On TikTok, the launch of the new title unfolded through meticulously planned stages, beginning with the Soft Launch. This initial phase introduced the game in five strategic markets to establish essential performance benchmarks such as cost per install and return on ad spend.

During this period, the campaign leveraged tailored mobile app install (MAI) campaigns, with a keen focus on monitoring user engagement and monetization patterns. Marketing materials and in-game content were localized to resonate with the specific demographics of each market, ensuring the content was relevant and appealing.

Following the soft launch was the Pre-registration Phase, which aimed to spark early interest and secure installations prior to the official release. Supercell initiated a mobile pre-registration campaign using in-feed ads that directed users to an instant page, and subsequently to the App Store for early sign-up. Upon the game’s release, it automatically downloaded to the devices of those who had pre-registered, effectively targeting enthusiasts of mobile and action games and ensuring a seamless transition for eager players.

During the Global Launch Phase, Supercell aimed for a comprehensive global rollout to maximize market penetration for Squad Busters. The strategy incorporated heavy branding and performance-driven campaigns. Initially, branding efforts were prioritized to establish market presence, subsequently shifting to performance campaigns designed to drive installations.

The branding campaign leveraged Top View ads across 39 markets while also engaging the TikTok creator community through a Branded Mission. The Branded Mission, combined with TikTok’s Branded Effect, encouraged user-generated content, fostering community interaction and enhancing the game's visibility.

The Branded Effect was specifically designed to engage users by allowing them to showcase their "squad" through an interactive overlay that matched friends to game characters, such as the strong, muscular barbarian or the comedic chicken. Playful prompts encouraged users to create content that reflected team dynamics and personal relationships, bolstering the game's social proof on the platform.

Supercell used Pulse ads to reach users at the optimal moment and in the appropriate context. Users who had just watched top gaming content were immediately shown the Squad Busters ad, ensuring high relevance and engagement.

The campaign also featured the largest Out-of-Phone (OOP) activation for gaming to date, spanning nine locations. The OOP format allowed content from the Branded Mission to transcend TikTok, showcasing campaign videos on billboards in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto, Vancouver, Paris, London, Berlin, and Helsinki.

Spark Ads played a pivotal role in the promotional efforts, enabling Supercell to utilize organic content from their TikTok profile in their advertising campaigns.

This strategy capitalized on Supercell's commitment to producing engaging organic content and cultivating a TikTok community around their titles, quickly gathering a community of more than 1.5M followers for Squad Busters post-launch.

The Results

Capturing global attention and boosting installs

The launch of Supercell's "Squad Busters" on TikTok achieved remarkable global reach, engaging 261 million people worldwide. The hashtag #squadbusters became a viral hit, securing the top spot in trending charts and amassing over 3.2 billion views within just 1.5 months.

The Branded Effect and Branded Mission further amplified engagement, generating 376 million impressions and sparking 8 million searches for "squad busters" on TikTok.

This widespread exposure significantly heightened brand awareness, particularly in Canada and Australia, where the awareness lift exceeded the global benchmark by 66% and 100%, respectively, according to a Brand Lift Survey.

The Out-of-Phone (OOP) format also surpassed expectations, achieving viewership with impressions per mille (IMP) 42% higher than anticipated.