Frameplay Celebrates the Launch of the IAB’s New Creative Guidelines and Best Practices in Advertising in Gaming as a Contributing Leader on the Taskforce

Today marks a significant milestone for not only Intrinsic In-Game Advertising, but also for the advertising industry at large. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Creative Standards Task Force announced the launch of the “IAB Creative Guidelines and Best Practices in Advertising in Gaming”, streamlining intrinsic in-game advertising creative ratios. These standardized guidelines were created to address sustainability, higher quality requirements, and continuity within the greater advertising ecosystem.

After successfully working on the taskforce to launch the Gaming & eSports Advertising (Taxonomy) Framework in August 2022 and subsequently, the Intrinsic In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines in August 2023, Frameplay joined the IAB Creative Standards Task Force in May 2023, along with other industry in-game leaders, to establish universal in-game creative standards. The taskforce was faced with the challenge of ensuring that the highest quality ad creatives are enabled inside highly cinematic games, without compromising load times or overall player experience.

In an effort to ensure creative quality was optimized for in-game environments and sustainability factors were considered, Frameplay conducted a careful analysis of existing web/mobile/DOOH  resolution standards, Flexible Size Ad Specifications, and current in-game offerings to make recommendations on final ad ratios and dimensions. As a united taskforce, we were committed to balancing the need for high-quality ad creative to show well in the gaming environment with reducing the complexity of the creative development and sustainability requirements. After evaluating several options, the taskforce aligned on the new, streamlined ratios for in-game ad units. 

The finalized standards are designed to align with high-performing display and video ratios in the industry while also providing flexibility for game developers and media planners. The goal is to connect the current web and mobile advertising formats and the emerging in-game landscape.

The new standards include the following:

• Alignment with high-performing display ratios. The new standards align with the most common display ratios used in the industry.
• Alignment with video ratios. The new standards also align with the most common video ratios used in the industry. This will ensure that creatives are displayed correctly in video ads.
• Custom ratios are not considered a “standard buy.” This will ensure that all creatives are displayed consistently across the industry and that it is easier for media planners to compare the performance of different campaigns. However custom ratios can still be used.
• Higher quality assets. Creative and trafficking changes will be made to allow for the upload of higher-quality assets. This will improve the visual quality of creatives, making them more likely to be seen by users.

Frameplay strongly believes that the implementation of these new standards will have a significant impact on the gaming industry as a whole. By enhancing the quality of visual creatives, users will be more likely to have a positive experience, resulting in increased engagement and retention rates. Additionally, media planners will benefit from standardized in-game buying capabilities, allowing for more efficient campaign creation and performance analysis. Ultimately, these standards will elevate the overall quality of gaming content and enhance the overall user experience for buyers and people who play games.

Click here to download the Creative Guidelines and Best Practices in Advertising in Gaming.