Craftsman Plus

04/27/2026

The case for playable ads, in two numbers: 23% better CPA. 3x higher ROAS by day 7.

Big credit to the Adikteev team for putting the data together, it mirrors what we've been seeing across the playables we build at CRAFTSMAN+. If your 2026 UA strategy is still leading with banners and statics, you're leaving performance on the table.

Full article → https://www.adikteev.com/blog/mraid-creatives-blog

04/24/2026

PLAY v5 is live.

A rebuilt editor and six new features, that allow you to build even more engaging, interactive creatives.

The headline change: we moved the editor to WebGL. You'll feel small wins today (smoother viewport, cleaner transforms, better gestures), but the real reason for the rebuild is what comes next. AI Agents, Particle Systems, Custom Animations, Scene Effects, and plenty more are on the roadmap because of it.

The new features shipping alongside:
→ Press Effect: button-like tap feedback on any layer
→ Hold and Release: two separate actions from one gesture
→ Anchor Points: cleaner responsive layouts across devices
→ Engine Compression: about 400KB lighter exports
→ iFrame HTML and ZIP uploads: skip external hosting, host directly on PLAY
→ Bulk image import: add bulk layers by multi-selecting in the Asset Library

Full release notes linked in the comments.

04/14/2026

A new PLAY release is on the way! We'll be sharing all the details later this week.

04/03/2026

The biggest mistake performance marketing teams make with AI? Using it to replace the creative instead of to inform it.

Here's the framework we keep coming back to: bifurcate the workflow.

Let humans own the creative core — ideation, brand nuance, the subjectivity AI still can't replicate. Let AI own production velocity — localization, resizing, variant testing once winners are identified.

But the real growth lever is upstream. AI outperforms humans at pattern recognition at scale. Deploy it to audit historical winners, surface what's actually moving the needle (colors, pacing, CTAs), and hand your creatives a data-backed cheat sheet before they ever open a blank canvas.

The goal isn't to cannibalize the team. It's to eradicate the tedious — so humans can protect what we call the "Brand Soul."

Efficiency and quality aren't a tradeoff. They're a sequencing problem.

Our COO Olivia Barnett is breaking down exactly how we achieve that equilibrium at Creatives that Scale on April 15 with Singular at 9am PT.

Sign up to join us here: https://hubs.li/Q047sYzq0

03/31/2026

GDC throwback.

Still not over the conversations and the people we met.

Such a fun week.

03/30/2026

Most brands think scaling ads is about spending more.

It’s not.

Right now, every brand has access to the same platforms—Meta Platforms, Google, AppLovin.

Same targeting. Same algorithms. Same infrastructure.

So if everyone’s playing on the same field…
why are some brands scaling and others stalling?

The difference is creative.

The brands winning aren’t louder. They’re more real.

Founder-led content is outperforming because people don’t connect with ads…
they connect with people.

If your ads feel like ads, you’re blending in.

Stop trying to outspend the market.
Start trying to out-connect it.

03/25/2026

Playables are quickly becoming one of the most powerful ways to test and scale ad creative.

But not all platforms are built the same.

At CRAFTSMAN+, we focus on what actually moves performance:

→ Data-backed creative decisions (through DSP + analytics integrations)
→ Full customization (not just one-click AI outputs)
→ Real human support alongside the platform

Because great interactive ads don’t come from templates.
They come from the right combination of data, creativity, and ex*****on.

03/24/2026

What do the top brands in mobile advertising have in common? They're producing 50 or more playable ads every single month — and they're not slowing down.

But volume alone doesn't win. In a world where everyone is leaning into AI, creativity is the differentiator.

AI can do a lot but it doesn't know your story. It doesn't know the experiences that shaped you, the nuances of how you think, or the instincts you've developed as a designer or creative director. That's irreplaceable.

03/17/2026

Just got back from GDC, and one thing is clear:

Most teams are still guessing their way through creative.

These 3 AI agents are built to change that:

Strategist → market insights
Strategic Director → your team’s expertise
Builder → faster production

The result:
Better decisions, faster output, still human-led.

03/04/2026

Creative is increasingly becoming the most important lever in user acquisition.
Our COO, Olivia Barnett, recently joined Josh Chandley, Co-Founder, President, and COO of WildCard, for a conversation about how automation and AI are transforming the creative landscape in mobile marketing.
In the episode, they explore how advertisers can maintain a competitive edge as networks continue to evolve and why creative intelligence is becoming essential for modern UA teams.

Watch the full episode here:

Networks own targeting. They set the bids. Ad creative is the last input mobile gaming advertisers still control. Now Meta is generating ads with AI at scale...

03/04/2026

Today we announced a strategic partnership between CRAFTSMAN+ and AppMagic introducing the first fully automated AI Creative Intelligence system designed for mobile advertising.

By combining market-wide performance intelligence with tap-level playable analytics, the system continuously analyzes thousands of live ads to identify the creative signals that drive performance.

This partnership establishes a new approach to how creative strategy is informed by real market data.

Read the full announcement:
https://www.einpresswire.com/article/897044963/craftsman-and-appmagic-launch-industry-first-ai-creative-intelligence-partnership

03/03/2026

GDC week moves fast — and the best conversations usually happen between sessions.

We put together GDC 2026: The CRAFTSMAN+ Insider Scoop

A curated guide to the events, mixers, and San Francisco hot spots actually worth your time.
Inside:
✔️ Our top event pick
✔️ Networking + coffee spots
✔️ Dinner & drinks for real conversations
✔️ Plus a way to meet the CRAFTSMAN+ team

Download here: https://wkf.ms/4s8YprY