UPRISE is a growing start-up publisher in the real-world rewards (RWR) apps category. Their flagship app, Bitbunny, transforms everyday activities like step counting and quizzes into tangible rewards, such as gift cards, Starbucks vouchers, and even Bitcoin.
By partnering with Unity LevelPlay mediation and with support from the local Unity team, UPRISE significantly optimized their monetization, achieving a 2x increase in overall revenue and a 2.6x increase in average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU)*, while also ensuring a positive user experience with Ad Quality.
The challenge of monetizing with limited resources and high user standards
Before partnering with LevelPlay, UPRISE's monetization team faced several challenges.
As a small startup, their monetization team had limited resources and time. Relying on non-bidding networks required significant manual effort for waterfall management, diverting valuable time from core product development.
As their RWR app grew, UPRISE recognized that to monetize profitably they would need to leverage in-app bidding using multiple networks through a mediation partner. Their app, Bitbunny, caters to a young and tech-savvy Korean audience - a target market that puts a premium on the user experience and is sensitive to disruptive or inappropriate ads. As a result, UPRISE also needed a solution that would enable them to monetize while maintaining a positive user experience and the brand’s reputation.
UPRISE turned to Unity LevelPlay. Unity’s mediation solution offered a user-friendly dashboard, a proven reputation for driving revenue, and the ability to ensure stable operations for RWR apps.
Unity’s Ad Quality allowed UPRISE to monitor, track, and troubleshoot the problematic ads shown in Bitbunny down to the creative-level, so they could ensure the ads in the app were complementing and not detracting from the user experience.
In addition, UPRISE recognized that Bitbunny’s ad inventory was underutilized. By optimizing and expanding ad placements throughout the app and introducing a broader mix of ad formats, they were able to unlock significant new revenue potential.
Complementing gameplay with ads
To prevent ads intruding or detracting from the player experience, the Bitbunny team focused on creating experiences that encouraged opt-in engagement. This approach helped to foster deeper user immersion and created willingness to interact with the ads in the title.
A standout example is the launch of Meow Bakery, a gamified feature where users can enjoy the process of baking bread. Ads were strategically integrated into this feature to enhance monetization and engagement without negatively impacting gameplay.
Maximizing revenue and trust with local support
Unity proposed a strategic approach to enhance UPRISE's monetization strategy, taking into account UPRISE's lean team. The Unity team advocated for integrating more bidding networks through LevelPlay. This strategic shift would significantly reduce the manual workload associated with traditional waterfall management, allowing UPRISE's team to focus on higher-level strategy.
The Unity team also provided local technical support for UPRISE’s inventory expansion and optimization. This included recommending and implementing smart and holistic monetization strategies – like identifying and assisting UPRISE in adding new multi-ad placements across their apps and using LevelPlay's powerful A/B testing feature to refine network configurations and conduct precise floor bid tests to ensure optimal performance.
UPRISE carefully leveraged the wide range of ad formats available through LevelPlay, ensuring that user traffic was consistently and effectively converted into ad revenue. Throughout, the Unity team engaged in ongoing discussions about UPRISE's monetization, providing strategic guidance and ensuring LevelPlay was accomplishing their long-term growth plans.
Understanding the critical importance of user experience for Bitbunny's audience, the Unity team recommended they leverage Ad Quality. The team offered insights to ensure the publisher was taking full advantage of its features. This included active monitoring and creative screening capabilities to safeguard UPRISE's brand and user trust - ensuring relevant and appropriate ad content.
Unlocking significant revenue growth with Unity LevelPlay
Through close collaboration with the local Unity team and leveraging LevelPlay's capabilities, UPRISE achieved significant revenue results. Following targeted placement optimizations, the publisher saw a significant 2.6x increase in ARPDAU. At the same time, their ad revenue surged 2x, demonstrating the substantial impact of LevelPlay and the team’s recommendations.
*Source: Internal Unity Ads data. Disclaimer: Reported increases occurred between May - July, 2025.
