Top Brands That Are Getting Creative With Customers Through Interactive Mobile Ads

Top brands are now leveraging smartphone features and sensors like accelerometer, gyroscope, face, voice and smile detection and color recognition among others to create innovative ads that stand out. This aides in avoiding any customer fatigue that might be present with regular banner ads. Further, in order to create unique experiences that establish top-of-mind recall, mobile is the most functional medium.

mCanvas helps brand reach their optimal potential by utilizing its in-house studio to create high-impact interactive mobile ads, which are then distributed through its extensive network of over 400 million users on apps and mobile web.

The brands, in turn, achieve optimal ROI for each marketing dollar spent with mCanvas through the interactions and reach, with engagement rates of over 20 times that of standard banner ads.

Here are some of the top brands that have creatively leveraged interactive mobile campaigns to etch a mark for themselves in the competitive mobile ad space.

1. Nerolac Excel Virus Guard | Walk to explore

Urging their audience to keep their homes safe from bacteria and viruses, Nerolac promoted its Excel Virus Guard, a painting solution that helps to secure the home with an innovative and engaging mobile ad that reached 4.5 million users.

Powered by advanced motion sensors, users were encouraged to physically take a step forward to explore the painting on the wall. This interactive element created a significant impact among users and boosted engagement. The ad also featured interactive hotspots that they could engage with, to learn more about the benefits of the paint innovatively.

2. Moov – #MakeYourMoov | Jump to test fitness levels

Encouraging their audience to complete the #MakeYourMoov challenge, Moov unveiled an interactive ad that coupled impeccable storytelling and technology to create an engaging experience for users on mobile.

The challenge involved prompting users to jump 10 times in 5 seconds to test their health. Using powerful motion sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope, the campaign creatively encouraged users to physically interact with the ad, which in turn established strong brand recall.

3. Dell G7 gaming laptop | Draw a G

Dell, one of the global leading laptop brands, promoted its G7 15 gaming laptop and its Gameshift key with an innovative ad that created waves in the tech space. Leveraging mCanvas’ proprietary outstream video format – Streambox to communicate the campaign message effectively, was an apt route.

Integrating a mid-video interaction in the video ad, users were prompted to draw a G in the air with their phone. Using accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors, the ad established a strong association between the game-changing key and the laptop’s top-of-the-line performance.

4. Fitbit – Versa 2 | Walk to learn about the device’s features

Bolstering users to stay fit and live boldly, Fitbit captivated its users on mobile with an interactive experience, while promoting its Versa 2 smartwatch.

Walking and fitness are correlated, making it apt for the mobile-led ad to prompt users to physically walk forward to interact with the ad. With users spending more than 10 seconds on average interacting with the ad, the campaign leveraged advanced motion sensors like accelerometer and gyroscope and intuitively displayed a variety of the watch’s features, as the user walked forward.

5. Principal Mutual Funds | Tilt to avoid the obstacles

In light of the volatile market conditions, Principal Mutual Funds encouraged users to secure their finances by investing in mutual funds with an engaging rich-media ad.

Adding an engaging gaming effect to the campaign, the creative prompted users to tilt their phones left and right to avoid obstacles on the road, which denoted various risk factors that affect finances. The interaction was powered by motion sensors, that elevated the ad experience and established strong brand recall.

6. Lodha Gardenia | Pan up to upgrade lifestyle

Lodha urged their audience to live life to the fullest while promoting its Gardenia property with an engaging ad that resonated well with users.

In an effort to empower users to physically engage with the ad, they were prompted to pan their phone upward to upgrade their lifestyle, the campaign creatively used powerful motion sensors to unravel the brand’s message in an innovative manner. The ad then seamlessly revealed the building, along with other key visuals and information.

7. Zee5 HiPi Premier League | Tilt to bowl the cricket ball

Keeping up with the cricketing megaevent – IPL spirit, Zee5 challenged its audience to get creative by participating in various team challenges and creating short videos on its HiPi app to win points.

Adding a creative twist, the ad prompted users to bowl their friends over with humor and entertainment, the campaign instructed them to tilt their phone forward to bowl the cricket ball in the ad, just like how it’s done on a cricketing field. Leveraging accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors, this interaction built a strong association between the brand and the cricketing megaevent, creating a memorable experience.

8. Optimum Nutrition | Jump to test fitness limits

Like Zee5, Optimimum Nutrition also leveraged the cricketing megaevent IPL to engage users with an ad that used the accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors to create a unique experience on small screens.

Encouraging users to put their fitness limits to the test, the ad challenged them to jump as many times as possible in 10 seconds. This unique activity that used powerful motion sensors was a truly memorable ordeal for the audience; an effective way to build awareness about a product.

9. Rupa Udgaathan | Walk to inaugurate

Rupa, one of India’s oldest innerwear brands promoted the reopening of their offline retail stores with a tech-enabled mobile ad that seamlessly integrated video into the ad experience.

Using accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors, the mobile-led campaign encouraged users to physically take a step forward to enter the store. With an engagement rate 10 times higher than the 0.20% industry average, the ad then revealed a video commercial that effectively featured the brand’s line of innerwear products. More interestingly however, the CTA ‘Locate Store’ in the ad directed users to the Google Maps app and displayed the location of stores based on the user’s location.

10. Maxo Genius – Automatic Mosquito Repellant Machine | Tilt to shift to automatic mosquito repellant

Promoting India’s first automatic mosquito repellant machine, Maxo Genius engaged users with an innovative mobile ad that innovatively used motion sensors to create a thoroughly captivating experience for users.

Instructing them to tilt their phone to the right to shift to an automatic mosquito repellant, the ad creatively used the accelerometer and gyroscope motion sensors in the phone to communicate the brand’s message seamlessly.

From the aforementioned mobile ads, it’s evident that motion sensors have proven to be effective drivers of user engagement. Moreover, it will be interesting to see how motion sensors, coupled with other tech like voice for instance, will further transform how users experience and interact with ads.

About the author:

Lavin Punjabi has spent over 16 years at the intersection of Advertising, Media and Technology in US, EU and India. He is the CEO and Co-founder of Affinity Global Inc., an ad tech holding company. Under the Affinity umbrella, he has setup 6 different business units – SitePlug, Veve, mCanvas, OneDash.ai, Yield Solutions and Munchable. Each business caters to a unique set of marketing needs across US, UK, EU, IN, ID and China. He graduated from Jai Hind College in 2004 with a BMS degree.

About mCanvas:

mCanvas is an experiential storytelling platform that helps brands emotionally connect with their audiences on small screens. Our mobile ads and content marketing solutions make experiences interactive and memorable by etching phone sensors and device features into the brand narrative. mCanvas is creating ‘wow’ moments every day by reinventing formats, building tools, and providing a marketplace (of 100+ publishers like The Times of India, The Indian Express, Entrepreneur India, CarDekho, ScoopWhoop) to run these experiences at scale. To see our award-winning work and learn more, visit: www.mCanvas.com.