PUBG Mobile Thailand

The Objective

Increasing awareness and engagement among Thailand's gaming community

Level Infinite ranks among the world's largest video game publishers, and is one of the masterminds behind the massive success and popularity of PUBG Mobile. Played in almost every corner of Southeast Asia, PUBG Mobile already has a vast following in the gaming community. In fact, it's become a staple for streamers and competitive gamers around the region. The PUBG Mobile team wanted to further boost awareness among TikTok's highly active gaming community. The brand also wanted to drive engagement with its existing fans in the country. So, the team created a Branded Effect in collaboration with Thailand's #1 YouTube gaming influencer Heartrocker (HRK). The brand also ran a Brand Lift Study to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

The Solution

Driving community engagement with Branded Effect, TopView and Top Feed ads

To catch the attention of the Thai gaming community, PUBG Mobile partnered with a well-known local streamer and PUBG Mobile fan, Heartrocker. Utilising the platform's Branded Effects, the team created a filter that let TikTok users virtually try on the iconic PUBG Mobile helmet and Heartrocker’s distinctive mask. Branded Effects are essentially an augmented reality filter designed to engage TikTok's community through authentic and delightful interactions. These effects are highly customizable and integrate various branding elements, to fit brands' specific campaign needs.

In its Branded Effect, PUBG Mobile leveraged both the PUBG Mobile brand and Heartrocker's popularity for maximum effect. The brand also followed best practices, such as keeping logos highly visible throughout, and allowing multiple participants to try out the Branded Effect at once to maximise the fun. This also further encouraged the creation of playful community content, while capturing users' real-time responses. For example, the videos captured users' hilarious reactions to the unexpected face-altering effect after removing the masks.

PUBG Mobile Thailand then amplified the best examples of fan-made videos with the help of TopView and Top Feed ads. This maximized awareness among the wider gaming community. TopView ads appear at the top of users' For You feed when first opening TikTok. In this format, promotional content from the campaign captures users' attention by offering a front-and-centre immersive viewing experience. Meanwhile, Top Feed is a Feed Type option for Reach & Frequency campaigns that lets brands control when their ad appears in someone's TikTok feed.

As the campaign began to wrap up, PUBG Mobile Thailand also kicked off a Brand Lift Study. TikTok's Brand Lift Study is an immersive, in-feed polling experience used to gauge the community's response to a branded campaign. This survey-based approach has proven to be incredibly effective in measuring differences in attitudes towards advertising exposure between different groups.

The Results

Driving convincing results, as measured by Brand Lift Study

The Brand Lift Study survey asked questions exploring four key metrics: Ad Recall, Familiarity, Intent, and Recommendation. The report then compared results among groups that had seen the campaign, and groups which hadn't.

The survey reported an 11% increase in Ad Recall among users who had seen the campaign, compared to those who hadn't. This double-digit uplift indicated that the campaign left a memorable impact on the TikTok audience. PUBG Mobile and Heartrocker's embedded logos were shown consistently, contributing to the campaign's strong uplift in Ad Recall. The prominent logos also were a factor in the 6.7% uptick in Familiarity noted by the survey.

Intent increased by 3.7%, signalling a higher likelihood of users revisiting the game in the future. This was likely driven by the credibility of a top gamer like Heartrocker, also legitimizing the game for those still on the fence. The PUBG Mobile team also saw recommendations rise by 9.7%, indicating an above-average user likelihood of recommending PUBG Mobile to potential new players. In short, PUBG Mobile Thailand saw convincing results in all four key metrics.

Also, the bundling of the Branded Effect with TopView and Top Feed ads drove an impressive branding impact. TopView reached 7.3 million users, with a view-through rate that was 100% higher than the benchmark. The Top Feed ads allowed the campaign to maintain momentum for a longer period. And the Branded Effect drove 10.5 million effect video views.

The Brand Lift Study helped the PUBG Mobile team to test out and prove this campaign concept. Brands can also consider TikTok's Brand Lift Study to identify specific creative elements that contribute to brand metric uplift. By referencing real metrics, brands can explore how to drive real results, so that the next campaign can make an even bigger difference.