What's your biggest challenge when making a mobile game ad? Here's the open loop strategy I've been studying

Well starting this topic with the most basic thing, YOU NEED A GOOD HOOK. You already know you need one. But here's the thing, a hook isn't only created to stop you from scrolling. It can also make the viewer ask a question.

Here's an example I used in a real ad: '99% of players die here'. You see what looks like a simple, almost easy situation on screen, and immediately something doesn't add up. How do people die there? That question is what actually keeps the thumb from swiping. Not much the visuals, not much the music. The question is the key here, is where things work for retention!

And you can create this doing steps like:

Step 1 — Create the question Your hook should make the viewer feel like they're missing something. Curiosity is stronger than spectacle.

Step 2 — Don't answer it. Feed it. Once you have their attention, the next move isn't to explain your game, it's to keep that curiosity alive while showing what the game feels like. In the ad I made, I used a quicktime sequence right after the hook. Simple gameplay, easy to follow and think "that's dumb", but it actually deepens the original question. If this looks so easy, why are 99% of players dying? That's the catch.

Step 3 — Let the CTA be the answer The final card doesn't explain anything either. It just calls the player to download. And here's the key, the only way to resolve the question you created is to play the game (what we want lol), so the download IS the answer for the question above.

This is an ad built entirely around an open loop. We create questions, we never answer them, and the only resolution is conversion. Which is exactly what us, indie devs want, right?

And I really hope this helped clarify something for some of you, or at least added an insight to help you make an ad for your game. But what about you, what's been your biggest challenge when making ads for your game? Hook, gameplay showcase, or getting people to actually hit download? Let's share it, soon gonna make a video about it too!

Thanks for reading.