Hakuhodo DY ONE Verifies the Effectiveness of In-Game Advertising  for Fast Food Products
〜Exposed users exceed unexposed users by some 34% in purchase intent, and 110% in takeout/delivery recall 〜

Tokyo, July 9, 2026 – We are pleased to announce that Hakuhodo DY ONE has completed a brand lift survey to verify the effectiveness of in-game advertising for Shrimp Avocado, a product offered by SUBWAY, an organized sandwich franchise chain operated by WATAMI FAST CASUAL MANAGEMENT Inc.

Background

As sei-katsu-sha’s^*1media contact has diversified in recent years with the expansion of the digital advertising market, advertisers are now required to create touchpoints for their brands in alignment with the interests and behaviors of sei-katsu-sha. Above all, gaming is a media channel with which a wide range of people make contact on a daily basis. Smartphone games in particular are used on increasingly diverse occasions by sei-katsu-sha, including during their spare time as well as breaks.

The Sei-katsu-sha Survey on In-Game Advertising^*2, conducted by ARROVA Inc., a subsidiary of Hakuhodo DY ONE, and Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc., found that in-game ads naturally blended with content experience, with a greater potential than traditional digital ads for contributing to conversion.

Accordingly, we verified the impact of in-game ads on brand awareness and purchase intent for SUBWAY’s Shrimp Avocado, focusing on the behavioral context of sei-katsu-sha playing a smartphone game and its affinity with demand for snacks and to-go foods.

　▼ In-game ads covered by the present survey (an example)

 Survey result (excerpts)

1. Purchase intent of the users exposed to in-game ads exceeded that of others by some 34%.

The survey found that the purchase intent of those exposed to advertising exceeded that of others by about 34%. Brand indicators also reveal that the ads are even more effective for “heavy players,” i.e. those playing smartphone games every day or 2-3 days a week.

Indeed, those exposed to advertising exceeded others in all indicators, including ad awareness and brand awareness.

2. Those exposed to ads were almost 2.1 times as likely as others to use takeout or delivery services while gaming.

Users exposed to advertising were almost 2.1 times as likely as others to respond positively when asked if they had felt like using a takeout or delivery service while playing a smartphone game. Heavy players even exceeded all exposed users by some 14% in this kind of experience.

People often play smartphone games during their spare time and breaks, which often coincide with the times when they think about snacks or to-go foods. The result indicates that in-game advertising is an approach that can create natural touchpoints with brands in alignment with sei-katsu-sha’s behavioral context, pointing to its high potential affinity with fast food, takeout and food delivery services.

Wrap-up and discussion

In this survey, users exposed to in-game advertising exceeded unexposed users in all indicators, including ad awareness, brand awareness, brand impression, brand recall and purchase intent. In particular, the purchase intent among those exposed to in-game ads, which exceeded that of others by almost 34%, implies that in-game advertising can even impact positively on brand likability and actual use, in addition to brand awareness.

The high takeout/delivery recall rates while gaming also indicate that in-game advertising can create highly affinitive touchpoints for brands regarding fast food and takeout products as it captures the behavioral context of sei-katsu-sha playing a smartphone game.

Overall, in-game ads are expected to be useful for marketing activities going forward as an advertising technique to create touchpoints for brands amid the natural contact of sei-katsu-sha with the media.

• For further information on the survey results, please visit:
  https://oneder.hakuhodody-one.co.jp/blog/ingame-ad-brand-lift-effect (Japanese)

Survey overview

• Operator: Hakuhodo DY ONE
• Method: Online survey
• Period: April 2-8, 2026
• Samples: Males and females aged 10-69 across Japan
• Subject: In-game ads
• Survey items: Game-playing frequency, ad awareness, brand awareness, brand recall, purchase intent, experience of takeout recall while gaming, impression of in-game ads

 Next steps

Building on these survey results, Hakuhodo DY ONE is aiming to further leverage in-game ads as an advertising technique aligned with the behavioral context of sei-katsu-sha. In particular, we consider smartphone games as potentially effective touchpoints for advertising, in view of their strong affinity with product/industry categories closely connected with sei-katsu-sha, such as snacks, takeout, beverages, daily goods and retail. Going forward, we will continue to verify advertising effectiveness by industry and product category to accumulate relevant data, thereby developing an enabling environment for advertisers to add in-game ads to their marketing activities.

Hakuhodo DY ONE will continue to develop new advertising experiences that do not undermine user experience, and to form an in-game advertising market while enhancing our collaboration with advertisers, media companies and gaming enterprises by leveraging our insights into the game media and expertise in advertising product development.

*1 “Sei-katsu-sha” is a term we use to describe people not simply as consumers, but as fully rounded individuals with their own lifestyles, aspirations and dreams.

*2 Press Release on May 12, 2026：ARROVA and Hakuhodo DY Holdings Conduct Sei-katsu-sha Survey on In-Game Advertising ― In-game ads naturally blending with content experience, up to almost 1.7 times as effective as traditional digital ads in terms of conversion ―

https://www.hakuhodody-holdings.co.jp/news/corporate/2026/05/6485.html