Pixel Pets: CorelDRAW AI Delivers 3.2x ROAS in 2026

The mobile gaming market in 2026 demands not only compelling gameplay but also visually striking creative assets to capture attention. Our recent campaign for the casual mobile game “Pixel Pets” leveraged CorelDRAW’s AI capabilities to generate app visuals, aiming to stand out in a crowded space. Did this AI-driven approach deliver the efficiency and impact we hoped for?

Campaign Teardown: Pixel Pets, Unleashing AI-Powered Creatives

Our objective for “Pixel Pets,” a new pet simulation game, was ambitious: achieve a 3.0x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) within its initial eight-week launch phase, securing a significant user base at a competitive cost per install (CPI). The budget allocated was $150,000 for paid user acquisition across Meta, Google Ads, and TikTok. We knew traditional creative production could be a bottleneck, both in terms of time and cost. This led us to explore CorelDRAW’s AI features extensively for asset generation.

Strategy: Multi-Platform Blitz with Creative Velocity

The core of our strategy revolved around rapid creative iteration and data-driven optimization. We planned for a phased rollout:

• Phase 1 (Weeks 1-2): Awareness & Initial Installs. Broad targeting with a focus on reach, using a mix of video and static image ads. CPI was the primary metric.
• Phase 2 (Weeks 3-5): Engagement & Retention. Refined targeting based on initial install data, introducing interactive ad formats and retargeting campaigns. Focus shifted to in-app engagement rates and cost per acquisition (CPA) for specific in-app actions.
• Phase 3 (Weeks 6-8): Scale & Optimization. Doubling down on top-performing creatives and audience segments, with a strong emphasis on ROAS and lifetime value (LTV) projections.

A significant part of our strategy involved using AI to accelerate creative production. We needed a constant stream of fresh, high-quality visuals to combat creative fatigue, especially on platforms like TikTok where trends move quickly. CorelDRAW’s AI tools were central to this approach.

Creative Approach: AI-Generated Visuals for Speed and Scale

Our creative team, consisting of three designers, integrated CorelDRAW’s AI features into their workflow. Specifically, we leaned heavily on Style Transfer to adapt existing game art into various aesthetic styles (e.g., pixel art to watercolor, cartoon to photorealistic) and Image Upscaling to ensure high-resolution assets for all ad placements without manual redrawing. This allowed us to generate a diverse library of ad creatives in a fraction of the time. For instance, creating 20 distinct ad variations (different backgrounds, character poses, and visual styles) took approximately 1.5 days using AI, compared to an estimated 2.5-3 days manually.

We produced:

• Short-form video ads (15-30 seconds): Featuring animated game footage with AI-enhanced overlays and character animations.
• Static image ads: A variety of visually distinct images showing pets, gameplay elements, and in-game environments.
• Interactive carousel ads: Users could swipe through different pet designs or mini-game scenarios.

The decision to use AI for creative generation was a calculated risk. We hypothesized that the speed and variety would outweigh any potential loss of “human touch.” My personal take on this is that while AI can generate impressive visuals, a human designer’s eye for narrative and emotional connection remains irreplaceable for final touches and strategic direction. AI acts as a powerful assistant, not a replacement.

Targeting: From Broad to Hyper-Specific

Our targeting strategy evolved throughout the campaign:

• Initial Targeting: Broad interests (mobile gaming, pet lovers, casual games) on Meta and Google Ads, combined with demographic filtering (ages 25-55, primarily female, given market research for casual pet games). TikTok campaigns initially focused on trending audio and broader gaming communities.
• Mid-Campaign Refinement: We created lookalike audiences based on the top 10% of users who completed the game’s tutorial and made their first in-app purchase. This was important. We also implemented custom audiences of users who watched 75% or more of our video ads but hadn’t installed.
• Late-Campaign Optimization: Hyper-segmentation based on in-app purchase history and engagement metrics (e.g., users who logged in daily for a week) to target high-value prospects with specific creative messages promoting new in-game content or limited-time offers.

What Worked: Data-Driven Wins

The campaign yielded several positive outcomes:

• Creative Velocity: CorelDRAW’s AI features allowed us to generate a high volume of diverse creative assets quickly. This enabled us to run extensive A/B tests and refresh creatives frequently, significantly reducing creative fatigue. We observed that ad sets with fresh creatives every 7-10 days performed 10-15% better in terms of CTR than those with static creatives for longer periods.
• Interactive Ad Performance: The AI-enhanced interactive carousel ads, which allowed users to “customize” a virtual pet before installing, performed exceptionally well. These ads achieved an average Click-Through Rate (CTR) of 3.8%, compared to 2.0% for static image ads and 2.5% for non-interactive video ads. Their Cost Per Lead (CPL) was $0.85, considerably lower than the $1.00-$1.20 for other formats.
• Audience Segmentation: The shift to lookalike audiences based on in-app purchase behavior proved to be a big deal. These segments consistently delivered a higher ROAS (4.1x) compared to broader interest-based targeting (2.8x). Our overall Cost Per Install (CPI) averaged $2.10 across all platforms, beating our initial target of $2.50.
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): We paid close attention to the app store listing itself. Using CorelDRAW’s AI to generate various app icon and screenshot designs, we continuously A/B tested these elements. Over the campaign, these optimizations led to a 12% improvement in app store conversion rates (from view to install), as measured by Google Play Console and Apple App Store Connect data.

For any app launch, particularly in a competitive market, focusing on the entire user journey, including the app store presence, is critical. This is precisely where a mobile / digital marketing agency like Moburst can make a significant impact through its CRO services. By optimizing every touchpoint from ad click to app install and beyond, Moburst helps ensure that marketing spend translates into actual, engaged users. Their expertise in fine-tuning elements like app store listings, onboarding flows, and in-app experiences can dramatically improve conversion rates, turning more prospects into loyal customers and maximizing the return on investment for advertising efforts.

What Didn’t Work and Optimization Steps

Not everything was a resounding success. Early in Phase 1, some of our AI-generated video ads, particularly those with highly stylized filters, struggled with clarity. The view-through rate (VTR) for these specific creatives was lower than anticipated, hovering around 15% for 30-second videos, whereas our more straightforward gameplay videos achieved 25% VTR.

• Optimization: We quickly pivoted. Instead of aggressive style transfers on full video, we applied AI enhancements more subtly to character models and background elements, ensuring core gameplay remained clear. We also shortened video ad durations to 15-20 seconds for initial awareness, leading to a VTR improvement to 22% on the revised creative sets.
• Initial Budget Allocation: We initially allocated a slightly higher percentage (35%) of our budget to TikTok in Phase 1, expecting viral growth. While TikTok delivered strong impressions (over 15 million in the first two weeks), the conversion rate to install was lower than Meta, resulting in a higher Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) of $3.50 on TikTok during this period compared to $1.80 on Meta.
• Optimization: We reallocated budget more heavily towards Meta and Google Ads, reducing TikTok’s share to 25% for Phase 2, and focused TikTok spend on creators and influencer collaborations rather than pure performance ads. This shift brought TikTok’s CPA down to $2.60 by the end of the campaign, primarily through more targeted influencer content.

Results and Metrics

The campaign concluded with strong results, exceeding our initial ROAS target.

The use of CorelDRAW’s AI for creative asset generation proved to be a significant advantage, not only in terms of cost and time efficiency but also in enabling rapid A/B testing and creative iteration. This agility allowed us to quickly identify and scale winning ad formats and audience segments.

Reflections: The Future of AI in Creative Marketing

Our experience with “Pixel Pets” clearly demonstrates that AI tools like those in CorelDRAW are not just novelties. They are becoming indispensable for marketing teams. The ability to generate a high volume of diverse, high-quality creative assets rapidly allows marketers to stay ahead of creative fatigue and adapt to evolving platform trends. What this means for the industry is a shift in the designer’s role: less about pixel-pushing from scratch, more about creative direction, prompt engineering, and strategic oversight of AI-generated content. For any app marketer, embracing these tools is no longer optional. It is a competitive necessity.

The key learning here is that while AI offers incredible speed and scale, human oversight and strategic direction remain paramount. The most successful campaigns blend AI’s efficiency with human creativity and analytical insight to deliver truly impactful results.