Samsung Ads, the advertising division of Samsung Electronics, is attempting to redefine the connected TV (CTV) advertising landscape with the launch of Samsung GameBreaks interactive ad formats.

According to Samsung, trivia game The Six, which is now available for advertisers in Canada and the U.S., will be the first of a portfolio of turnkey games designed to transform passive ad breaks into brand-driven gameplay. GameBreaks integrates interactive mini-games into Samsung TV Plus content, appearing in the first ad slot of premium commercial breaks.

“Interactive ad experiences enable brands to better engage with their audiences in an entirely new, high-impact way that supplements their core media objectives and delivers on mid-funnel and upper-funnel KPIs,” Dave Pauk, country manager for Canada at Samsung Ads, tells MiC. “With the ability to customize trivia, themes and design elements, brands can align game content with their messaging, seasonal campaigns and cultural moments relevant to Canadian audiences.”

Gamebreaks is a first-to-market solution available exclusively from Samsung Ads for Canadian advertisers looking for an ad product capable of driving 10x higher engagement compared to standard CTV ads, Pauk adds.

Samsung conducted research with MediaScience to see how effective GameBreaks is in boosting engagement, Pauk points out. Early beta testing also found a 53% lift in unaided brand recall (GameBreaks boosted brand recall by 1.5x over standard video ads) and 89% of viewers preferred GameBreaks to traditional commercial breaks, according to Samsung.

In other words, consumers are increasingly tuning out traditional commercials, Pauk adds.

“With gaming becoming more accessible through cloud-based platforms and Smart TV game hubs, more consumers are embracing interactive entertainment,” he says. “Research supports this trend, showing that interactive ads like GameBreaks not only improve engagement but also lead to higher brand recall and preference among viewers. As consumer expectations evolve, advertisers are investing more in interactive storytelling and gamification to create memorable brand experiences that drive deeper connections with their audience.”

With Samsung Ads rolling out more than eight games in 2025, Pauk says key benefits for advertisers include customizable themes and game-play designed to align with seasonal occasions.

In June 2024, The Six was made available on Samsung Gaming Hub, Samsung’s all-in-one platform that brings together games and game streaming services. Since its launch, The Six has delivered strong engagement, amassing a rapidly growing user base and setting the foundation for its adaptation as an ad format across CTV, Pauk says.

Ninety-eight per cent of all players who start playing play it all the way to completion, according to Samsung’s research, while the average monthly active users grew 42% from Q3 to Q4 2024, and the game has seen nearly 50% monthly active user growth in the first two months of 2025 compared to the last two months of 2024.