Samsung Ads launches GamesBreak ad format in UK

Samsung Ads has announced the launch of its GameBreaks ad format in the UK market, following a rollout earlier this year in the US and Canada.

Built natively for Samsung Smart TVs, GameBreaks transforms traditional ad breaks on Samsung TV Plus – the ad-supported streaming service available on Samsung Smart TVs – into remote control-powered games. This new format runs in the first ad slot of premium commercial ad pods, and offers viewers a way to engage, while giving advertisers a new medium to earn attention.

The first game in the GameBreaks portfolio to launch in the UK will be The Six, with more games to come in the pipeline. This new format will be available for alpha testing to UK advertisers this summer.

Independent research from MediaScience in the US, found that GameBreaks ads deliver a 53 per cent lift in unaided brand recall, outperforming standard video ads by 1.5x. It also found that 89 per cent of viewers preferred GameBreaks over traditional commercial breaks.

Minai Bui, Director of Product Marketing, Europe at Samsung Ads, commented: “The way viewers use their TVs is rapidly changing, and advertisers need to adapt to this new reality. The TV of today is a personalised, interactive entertainment hub for the home. With GameBreaks, we’re pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a traditional TV ad slot and the the result is a new ad format that puts interactivity, brand effectiveness, and playfulness at the heart of the TV advertising experience.”

Alex Hole, SVP and General Manager, Samsung Europe and MENA, added. “Our goal is to evolve TV from just a traditional entertainment medium into a comprehensive, outcomes-driven platform. The GameBreaks format is a unique tool that we know will deliver value to both advertisers and viewers.”

Also published in: Advanced Television