Short videos are known as the most natural environment for brand communication. People open Reels and TikTok to be entertained, which means their attention is already captured by the content itself. For brands, that creates a valuable opportunity: your ad does not have to fight for attention from scratch, it simply has to fit the viewing experience in a way that feels smooth and unobtrusive.
That was the idea behind one of our recent campaigns. The brand needed to engage both its active audience and a large pool of inactive users, so we leaned into sticker ads on Instagram Reels and TikTok.
Since the start, the campaign ultimately delivered 9.5B+ impressions, 13,775 promo-code interactions, and $10M+ in GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue).
In this case study, we break down how it all worked, why this mechanic fit the product so well, and what results it produced in a highly competitive market.
What are sticker ads?
Before we get into the campaign itself, here is a quick look at the format. Sticker ads are small dynamic banners embedded into viral – or simply engaging – short-form videos on social media. Their biggest strength is simple: they stay visible without interrupting the viewing experience, which makes it easier to deliver an offer in a light, non-disruptive way.
Beyond the offer itself, stickers also give the brand additional media presence: the brand appears in the audience’s field of view more often and becomes memorable through repeated touchpoints.
Case study overview
Context: an established brand with a large base of registrations, active and inactive users
Geo: CIS
Vertical: iGaming
Platforms: Instagram Reels + TikTok
Content themes: humor, cars, sports, viral content
Mechanic: placing the brand logo and offer on entertaining short-form content across social pages
Campaign period: July 2025 – present
Offers used during the campaign: 6
Campaign scale: 1-1.5B impressions per month
Given that some CIS countries have restrictions on certain types of advertising on social media – and sometimes on the social platforms themselves – the iGaming market in this region has become even more complex and competitive.
That is why it was important for our team not only to increase reach, but also to give the audience a clear reason to come back – or try the product for the first time – while helping the brand stand out with a strong exclusive offer. At the same time, the campaign was meant to add more mid-funnel touchpoints before conversion and improve organic performance, including SEO-driven traffic.
Why promo codes mattered
Promo codes played two roles in this campaign. First, they gave users a clear reason to act. Second, they worked as a clear attribution tool, making it easier to connect results to specific offers.
They were available to both new and existing users, including active ones. Just as importantly, the promo-code was easy and fast to use, which kept friction low for all user groups.
Why the offer itself mattered
When it comes to stickers with promo-codes, users need to understand right away what they are getting and why it is worth using.
The offer also has to stand out. Bonuses, rewards, and special terms should be at least as attractive as the brand’s other offers, and ideally – even more tempting. Exclusivity matters too: people should feel that this is something they can unlock specifically through that promo code, rather than through the same terms somewhere else.
In the best-case scenario, the offer stands out not only against the brand’s own ongoing deals, but also against competitor offers.
Campaign setup
As we mentioned before, for this campaign, we focused on Instagram Reels and TikTok and the core format was a dynamic sticker embedded into short-form videos and built around the brand logo and an exclusive offer.
To reach the required scale, we worked with a large network of quality social pages. At launch, we prioritized pages where 80%+ of the audience came from the target region and the audience core closely matched our desired 25+ profile. Later, when we needed more volume, we expanded to pages with 70%+ target-region audiences and 18+ demographics. The mix included everything from smaller pages with tens of thousands of followers to million-follower accounts.
In terms of scale, the target was 1-1.5B impressions per month. We reached that level fairly quickly and maintained it consistently throughout the campaign.
Creative approaches
The creative side is worth calling out separately. Every format used in the campaign was dynamic, and over time we tested several different angles:
- Interactive incoming-message style sticker
- Liquid-glass look inspired by the updated iOS interface
- 8-bit gaming aesthetic
- Co-branded format featuring two brands in a single creative
Beyond the concepts themselves, details mattered a lot. With sticker ads, size, speed, and content all affect how clearly the offer is understood, how well the video performs, and how likely it is to trigger platform restrictions, including shadow bans. If the banner is too large or too aggressive, video performance naturally drops. If it is too subtle, it gets lost to banner blindness in fast-moving feeds like TikTok and Instagram.
Results
At the time of writing this case study, the campaign has been running for 9+ months already. Over that period, we tested 6 offers, hit the planned volume, and kept it there consistently.
Here is the current topline performance:
- Spend: NDA
- Impressions: about 9.555B
- Users who interacted with promo codes: 13,775
- Registrations: 1,768
- New users who made their first deposit with a promo code: 1,451
- GGR from reactivated users who used a promo code since campaign launch: $10M+
Here is a breakdown of results by audience segments:
Active, the already engaged and most responsive segment, expectedly delivered the strongest results: 4,314 users, 1,547 registrations, and 1,166 first deposits.
Inactive, meaning inactive users: 1,334 users, 75 registrations, and 87 first deposits. The promo code worked as an additional incentive to return.
Reactive, or reactivated users: 6,404 users, including 84 registrations and 108 first deposits. This segment was especially important for the business effect: GGR from reactivated users who used a promo code exceeded $10M.
Slept users: 2,384 users, 62 registrations, and 90 first deposits. The promo code helped reach an audience that had not shown activity for a long time.
In addition to direct promo-code interactions and conversions, the campaign also delivered an additional organic effect. Instagram’s standalone contribution cannot be isolated cleanly, since other channels were running in parallel, but starting from the month after launch we still recorded an R2D (Registration-to-Deposit) increase of around 7-9%, along with positive movement across organic metrics.
The Google Trends chart below shows how interest in the brand grew after the campaign launched compared with competitors. The blue line represents our client’s product, while the other lines represent competitors:
Overall, sticker ads on Reels and TikTok proved to be a strong tool for scale, reactivation, and clear measurement through promo codes. For a product with a large base of registrations, active and inactive users, this mechanic works especially well: it helps move people toward action in a soft, low-friction way while also supporting broader brand interest.
Want to test sticker ads for your own brand? No problem! The mr.Booster team can build a campaign around your goals – whether that involves stickers, promo-code mechanics, large networks of social pages, or other social formats designed to drive both reach and measurable results!
