Back in 2008, it was predicted that revenue from in-game advertising would cross $1 billion globally by 2012. Brands were early to recognise the potential of in-game advertising even 16-17 years ago. For gaming platforms, it was contributing 35% of their revenue.
Today, you are highly likely to see brand presence after a rummy game download, between the levels of a casual game and many other gaming moments. As the global in-game advertising market crosses $10 billion in 2025, brands in India continue to integrate themselves into the popular action-adventure, poker and rummy games.
The Growth of In-game Advertising
While traditional digital advertisements can easily become background noise for the viewers, in-game ads have a more interactive presence. Subtle product placements and quick integration have made it a lucrative part of digital strategy for brands across the world.
Longtime gamers may recall seeing huge on-screen billboards in the game Doom, which carried various advertisements. That was almost 30 years ago. Barack Obama made an appearance as an in-game ad as a part of his presidential campaign back in 2012. It is easy to understand that the in-game ad market has reached a mature stage, at least globally. It is hardly a surprise that market experts predict a 12.3% CAGR between now and 2034 and is poised to reach $30 billion by then.
In India, however, gaming has been a comparatively recent phenomenon. As a result, brands continue to explore their in-game ad strategies in India.
In-Game Advertisements and India
It will not be long before the gaming community in India becomes 600 million strong. However, the climb to it has been somewhat sudden and fast. Understandably, many brands in India are still processing the importance of in-game ads. However, subtle in-game brand integrations have already started here as well.
Famous two-wheeler maker TVS integrated one of its Apache bike models into the racing game Asphalt. TVS received a positive response for this integration, with two million gamers using the bike during their gameplay. Redbull is another brand that has integrated itself in the form of in-game assets in an online cricket game. Since real-life cricket heavily features various advertisements, the virtual one also offers ample scope for in-game advertisements. These brand integrations are in the form of stadium cards, aggression booster cards, and various other accessories.
Delivery app Swiggy tied up with a gaming platform in an arrangement that allowed users to redeem Swiggy money through use on the platform, watching streams, and playing games. While this is a unique arrangement, in-game ads like banners, interstitials, and rewarded videos have been common in online games, be it on a popular rummy game platform like RummyTime or a popular action and adventure game. The role of ad networks has been crucial in in-game advertisements and is behind the promotion of popular poker and rummy game downloads as well.
A Growing Brand Presence
The presence of several leading ad networks in India has been a key factor in the growth of in-game advertisements, particularly in mobile gaming. Service providers like Google AdMob, Verve Group, InMobi, AdColony, etc., are helping brands identify suitable ad spaces and also helping gaming platforms to monetise their games better. Networks provide brands with clear directions through insights on consumers, classifications and tailored ad strategies.
Music streamer Spotify has been a major success in in-game ads, with a viewability rate of nearly 94%. They have achieved this through diverse in-game ads across different game titles. Uber’s in-game ads are tailored to the local language preferences of gamers and their location. This is highly effective in a diverse market like India.
Popular Ad Strategies
Display banners in the virtual environment are a common in-game ad tool. Made to look like Out of Home billboards, they fit in naturally and have high visibility. Brands are also using video banners instead of static billboards to add more vibrancy to their ad presence.
Indian gamers are also lapping up rewarded ads in a big way. Like the Swiggy money example mentioned above, gamers can earn currency, extra game lives, game levels and so on through brand advertisements.
Indian gamers are also well-versed in interstitial and expandable in-game ads. Interstitial ads have an interaction call in the form of skip and ‘know more ’buttons. Expandable ads are in collapsed form, which can be tapped or swiped for more information.
The India Potential
Even though India has one of the largest gaming communities, the in-game ad market is a small portion of the global scale. Even the gaming industry contributes only 1.1% of total global revenue. This makes India an in-game ad market with great potential.
Brands appreciate that in-game ads offer direct engagement with a massive audience without disrupting the immersive gaming experience. By synergising tailored campaigns and contextual targeting, brands stand to gain a lot of mileage through in-game ads in India.
