In an increasingly fragmented and performance-driven mobile advertising landscape, creative strategy is no longer a one-size-fits-all game. AppsFlyer’s newly released 2025 State of Creative Optimization report provides a comprehensive, data-rich examination of how creative variations, emotional resonance, and content formats impact user acquisition and retention across 1,300 apps and 1.1 million ad creatives.

Covering both Gaming and Non-Gaming verticals and analyzing $2.4 billion in ad spend, the report makes one thing clear: top-performing creatives still matter, but scaling creative diversity and tapping into emotional drivers are now essential for sustainable growth.

1. The Shift from Scaling Winners to Scaling Variety

• Top 2% Still Dominate in Gaming:
  In the Gaming category, just 2% of ad creatives are responsible for 53% of total ad spend, underscoring a winner-takes-most dynamic.

• Diversification in Non-Gaming:
  In contrast, Non-Gaming apps show a more distributed pattern, with the top 2% accounting for 43% of spend — a 10-point difference signaling a strategic shift toward broader creative testing, audience segmentation, and fatigue mitigation.

2. Creative Volume: A Tale of Two Verticals

• Non-Gaming on the Rise:
  High-spending Non-Gaming apps increased creative output by 18% YoY, averaging 2,365 creative variations per quarter, outpacing Gaming by 80% in growth.

• Gaming Still Leads in Volume:
  While Gaming apps still lead in total volume with 2,743 creatives per quarter, mid-tier Gaming advertisers are producing fewer creatives than last year — potentially putting them at risk amid rising competition.

“We’re seeing marketers scale variety, not just winners,” says Adam Smart, Director of Product Gaming at AppsFlyer. “Creative scale is becoming a strategic imperative across the board.”

3. Emotional Storytelling: A Power Lever Still Underused

• TV and Music Stars Outperform Movie Stars:

  • TV personalities generate 2x the IPM (installs per 1,000 impressions) of movie stars.

  • Music artist ads yield 50% higher 7-day retention, yet movie stars still command 80%+ of celebrity budgets.

• Narratives Drive Deeper Impact:

  • “Failure-to-Success” storytelling in Hypercasual Gaming delivers 78% higher IPM, yet receives 40% less spend than “Pure Success” stories.

  • In Mid-core Gaming, competition-driven narratives and challenge formats yield strong engagement and retention.

4. UGC Tutorials and Reviews Beat Testimonials

• In Finance & Social:

  • UGC tutorials in Social Media apps drive 45% higher IPM and 17% stronger 7-day retention.

  • In Finance, tutorial-style creatives outperform testimonials by delivering 37% higher retention.

• GenAI Insights:

  • Comparison-style creatives (before-and-after) excel in initial performance but show poor retention.

  • UGC testimonials, however, lead to 36% higher retention, proving their value in long-term user engagement.

5. Motivation-Based Messaging: Tailoring to Intent

• Finance:

  • Instant Gratification messaging (e.g., “Get Paid Today!”) boosts 7-day retention by 17% via DSPs.

• Dating:

  • Creatives tied to “Serious Relationship” goals outperform casual themes by 15%, despite lower ad spend.

6. Social and Search: Untapped Creative Goldmines

• Narrative Hooks in Social:

  • “Storytelling Hooks” — emotional arcs with twists — make up just 6% of social ad spend but deliver highest Day 7 retention at 8.4%.

• Social Proof:

  • Ads leveraging peer validation or trend participation offer strong performance but remain underutilized.

7. Strategic Takeaways for Marketers

1. Diversify Your Creative Investment

• Don’t over-index on a handful of top performers.

• Regularly test across formats, themes, and emotions.

2. Prioritize User Retention

• Installs are not the finish line. Creatives that resonate long-term — especially UGC and tutorials — outperform flashier alternatives.

3. Leverage Data-Driven Narratives

• Emotional hooks, failure arcs, and social proof can deliver significant ROI if used strategically.

4. Elevate Mid-Tier Advertiser Production

• Particularly in Gaming, mid-tier brands must scale creative production or risk falling behind.

A New Era of Creative Intelligence

AppsFlyer’s 2025 State of Creative Optimization Report is a wake-up call for marketers: in an AI-first, mobile-centric world, creative is no longer a soft metric — it's a growth engine.

Whether you’re scaling Gaming ads or educating users in Finance and Social, data-backed creative variety and emotionally intelligent content are the keys to standing out and retaining loyal users. As platforms grow smarter, your creatives must too.