Melolo | Mobile Advertising Intelligence Analysis

Melolo is a short drama app launched overseas by short video giant ByteDance. With its free and no ads strategy, it quickly attracted users in the Southeast Asian market. Within three months of its launch, it had over one million downloads and a rating of 4.9.

However, beyond the quality of micro drama itself, it’s the advertising strategy that truly stands out—leveraging smart creative concepts, ad networks, and geo-targeting to maximize reach and engagement.

1. App Profile 

1.1 App Identity

Melolo Explore a Variety of Short Dramas on Melolo for Free!

• Developer: POLIGON PTE. LTD.

• Release Date:

  • Google Play Store: /
  • Apple App Store: 2025-01-22

• Category & Subcategory: Entertainment / Audiovisual / Short Drama Series

1.2 Performance Metrics

• Estimated Downloads: 7.66 M+ (Last 30 Days)

• Estimated Revenue (IAP+IAA): $2.06 M+ (Last 30 Days)

• Rating:

  • Google Play Store: ⭐4.8/5 | 499142 Reviews

  • Apple App Store: ⭐4.9/5 | 14382 Reviews

1.3 Competitive Landscape

• Similar-Audience Apps: 

  DramaBox

  ReelShort

  Big Farm: Mobile Harvest

  FlexTV

  Popcorn Drama

2. Advertising Strategy Breakdown

2.1 Ad Intelligence

• Active Creative Trends:

• Creative Formats:

  Video	Image	Playable Ads
  96.84%	3.16%	0%

2.2 Regional Targeting Strategy

• Tier 1 Focus: 

  Indonesia	Philippines	US
  56.03%	22.19%	18.13%

• High-Growth Markets：

  Brazil	Malaysia	Japan
  1.34%	1.22%	0.29%

2.3 Traffic Sources

• Top Ad Networks :

  Facebook	Pangle	AdMob
  44.59%	21.42%	20.94%

• Top Sub Sources

  TikTok - Videos, Shop & LIVE	Cooking Marina - Cooking games	Block Blast!
  3.70%	3.21%	2.25%

2.4 Creative Anatomy

Let’s break down one of its ads' success through the lens of Hook, Highlight, and CTA, while offering insights for marketers seeking to apply similar strategies.

Hook&Demonstration		CTA
Free selling points and exciting plot presentation		A Clear and Compelling Download Prompt

The ad begins by imitating social media comments to highlight its unique features, reinforced by voiceover narration, informing users that the app's short dramas are free, high-quality, and downloadable.

This interactive blend of social media-inspired visual elements and voiceover immediately piques viewers' curiosity, ensuring they're eager to watch the following ad content and keep watching. Discourse-based ad hooks are particularly effective in short video ads, quickly capturing users' attention through repeated emphasis on key words.

The ad then showcases an intimate scene from the plot—holding hands—to build to a climax.

Driven by the plot, the ad creates a strong contrast, creating an intense and immersive experience that encourages continued viewing and a deep impression. Furthermore, a yellow box at the bottom of the ad emphasizes "ALL FREE," further reinforcing the free selling point.

Finally, the ad concludes with a clear call to action, encouraging users to download the app immediately. This simple and direct ending prevents user churn and maximizes conversions.

3. Conclusion

Melolo's ad excels by combining the discourse-driven hooks, an high-energy plot demonstration, and a clear CTA—all distributed effectively across short-form video platforms and ad networks with geo-targeting tailored to the app’s key markets.

For advertisers, this ad underscores several best practices:

• Use the discourse-driven hook—free—to immediately capture attention and spark curiosity.
• Incorporate the repeated free with ambiguous plot to deepen the user impression and enhance their experience.
• Finish with a clear, consistent CTA, integrated with the game’s brand identity for maximum impact.