Samsung brings games to UK ad breaks

Samsung Ads has rolled out GameBreaks in the UK, following its launch in the US and Canada earlier this year.

The ad format, available on Samsung smart TVs, runs in the first spot of a premium commercial ad break.

GameBreaks turns traditional ad breaks into mini remote-controlled games, aiming to offer viewers a new, gameified way to engage with brands.

The first game to launch in the UK market is The Six, which will be available for alpha testing for advertisers in the summer. It is a trivia game comprising six questions, followed by an ad at the end.

Advertisers are able to co-brand the experience and customise the game, including themes and questions. For instance, a travel brand will be able to ask geography-based questions.

If viewers choose not to play, the game will instead autoplay and show answers at the end, followed by the ad.

All GameBreak games are developed in-house at Samsung Ads.

Research by MediaScience found that GameBreaks ads deliver a 53% lift in unaided brand recall — 1.5 times higher than standard video.

“The TV of today is a personalised, interactive entertainment hub for the home,” said Minai Bui, director of product marketing, Europe, at Samsung Ads.

“With GameBreaks, we’re pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a traditional TV ad slot and the result is a new ad format that puts interactivity, brand effectiveness and playfulness at the heart of the TV advertising experience.”