Case Background
In 2009, 7Road released China’s earliest casual slingshot competitive web game, “Tuke.” With its easy-to-learn gameplay and high-quality production, “Tuke” built a solid player base and dominated the market for over a decade. What’s rare is that from the very beginning, 7Road had a global vision—launching the game in Vietnam at the same time as in China, and subsequently releasing it in Brazil, Australia, Canada, and other markets. By adopting localized operational strategies tailored to each region, the game achieved considerable success.
In September 2023, 7Road further deepened its presence in Brazil by launching “Tuke Origin” (hereinafter referred to as the “Tuke” mobile game). How to better engage local players and increase the target audience’s attention to the mobile game became a key focus for 7Road. The answer was ultimately found through a breakthrough on the TikTok platform.
Solution
Although “Tuke” had already entered the Brazilian market years ago, web games and mobile games are different, and promotional methods and channels have changed over time, making past experiences less directly applicable. Therefore, during the major launch phase, TikTok for Business, leveraging the actual situation of the “Tuke” mobile game and the platform’s diverse and active user base, provided 7Road with a more suitable solution.
It is well known that Brazilians are passionate and outgoing, with a love for music and dance, which brings high enthusiasm and interaction for music and dance short video content. After learning that the “Tuke” mobile game had a partnership with the national Brazilian cartoon IP “Galinha Pintadinha Chicken,” TikTok for Business suggested that 7Road leverage TikTok’s immersive audio advantage by combining the IP’s popular theme song and game visuals: using Upa Cavalinho as the background music for the #TukeersFireUp challenge, and designing interactive stickers featuring the “Tuke” mobile game logo and Galinha Pintadinha Chicken in a hat motif. This audiovisual integration deeply bound the “Tuke” mobile game with Galinha Pintadinha Chicken, so that whenever Brazilians heard the tune, they would think of the game. Later data showed that 93% of users participating in the challenge used the recommended background music, further validating local users’ preference for Galinha Pintadinha Chicken and the suitability of the IP for the game.
To increase participation and buzz, 7Road naturally did not forget to utilize TikTok’s powerful resource—creators. In addition to working with beauty creators to vividly demonstrate how to use custom stickers and music to participate in the challenge, 7Road also collaborated with traditional game commentary creators to introduce gameplay and experiences, enhancing TikTok users’ understanding of the game and lowering the entry barrier. Couple creators with strong lifestyle attributes enriched real-life gaming scenarios, giving potential players a stronger sense of immersion. Humorous and entertaining creators expanded the game’s reach, as casual games have a broad audience, and energetic performances and frequent interaction can spark more user interest and engagement. On this basis, Branded Mission further helped the “Tuke” mobile game inspire broader, authentic, and highly relevant content creation, improving both the quality and efficiency of creativity and achieving higher-quality exposure.
Marketing Results
Once the #TukeersFireUp challenge went live, it garnered 36.05M page views and nearly 3M interactions in less than 15 days. Through the Brand Lift Study, 7Road found that ad recall for the “Tuke” mobile game increased by 5.8%, and brand familiarity rose by 5.2%, achieving a significant boost in awareness. This successful “small investment, big return” campaign in Brazil not only greatly benefited 7Road, but also provided deeper insights into leveraging the TikTok platform, serving as a valuable reference for other game developers looking to explore emerging markets in South America.
