Samsung Ads Debuts Interactive Games for Advertisers

Samsung Ads, the advanced advertising division of Samsung Electronics, has launched a new interactive ad format called Samsung GameBreaks. The new feature creates different opportunities for brands to engage audiences through interactive, high-performance ad experiences. The capability will integrate fun-sized, interactive mini-games into Samsung TV Plus content and appreciate in the first ad slot of premium commercial breaks. GameBreaks is geared toward creating accessible gaming experiences in different formats within Samsung's ecosystem of services and devices. It is currently available for advertisers in the U.S. and Canada. Popular trivia game The Six will be the first of a portfolio of games that will turn traditional, passive ad breaks into more engaging, brand-driven gameplay with GameBreaks. Last June, The Six was first made available on Samsung Gaming Hub, the company's all-in-one platform that brings together games and game streaming services for easy access and play. Michael Scott, vp, head of ad sales and operations, Samsung Ads, said the GameBreaks format came from thinking about mini-games and leveraging them into a tool that is beneficial for both consumers and advertisers. "Gaming is very big on the platform," Scott told ADWEEK. "But not everybody wants to play first-person shooter games or console games, so we thought about snackable, bite-sized games and if it's engaging for consumers, what would look like that for advertisers? We eventually landed on the notion of trivia as a standalone game on our platform." According to Samsung, key benefits for advertisers include premium first-pod ad placement within relevant and brand-safe content, as well as creating strong contextual relevance with customizable themes and game-play designed to align with brand messaging and seasonal occasions. The Six requires limited assets for an integrated experience, per the company. Brands can further tailor their campaign with branded trivia, customizable design elements, and interactive storytelling to align with their campaign goals. For example, Scott pointed out that a fast food brand could customize the questions to be about condiments, while a travel brand can choose a destination. "It's not meant to be kind of a stunt," Scott said. "It's meant to be always on for a quarter or two quarters, and the trivia is evergreen. There's enough trivia to go around, even if it was custom trivia. It's the desire for high impact, the desire for breakthrough, and the desire for something new that supplements your core media objectives, whether it's reach or performance." According to the company, The Six has delivered strong engagement, which has set the foundation for its adaptation as an ad format across CTV, with the majority of users (98%) playing all the way to the end. Samsung also reported that average monthly active users grew 42% from Q3 to Q4 2024, and the game has seen nearly 50% monthly active user growth in the first two months of 2025 compared to the last two months of 2024. Samsung Ads also recently worked with MediaScience research lab on a study that shows the effectiveness of the ad format when it comes to driving key brand metrics. According to the data, the GameBreaks feature resulted in stronger response from viewers compared to standard video ads, and additionally, brand logos received the most exposure during intros and outros while still holding attention during gameplay, driving higher recall. The report found that in early beta testing, there was a 53% lift in unaided brand recall with GameBreaks boosting brand recall by 1.5x over standard video ads, while 89% of viewers preferred GameBreaks to traditional commercial breaks. Samsung Ads plans to roll out over eight games for advertisers to choose from in 2025. “As interactive ad experiences become more prevalent, brands have an opportunity to rethink their current approach," Scott said. “Consumers are looking for engagement and relevance—experiences that go beyond traditional advertising. Gamebreaks offers a scalable way to meet those expectations in a premium, brand-safe environment.”

Programming & Performance

Samsung Ads Debuts Interactive Games for Advertisers

The new ad format has led to higher brand performance and lifted unaided brand recall by 53%

Saleah Blancaflor

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications