Which Holiday ASO-Creatives Are Already Available on Google Play and the App Store? List for Your Inspirations

New Year creatives for mobile apps are an excellent opportunity to stand out among the competitors during the peak season at App Store and Google Play. The team of RadASO analyzed the apps that changed their graphics shortly before the festive days in 2022-2023 and collected the references in this article. 

All the examples described below are not necessarily the best options, and our list is not a rating. This is a selection of apps and games that do not generally omit tendencies and update their visuals before the New Year celebrations.

New Year ideas for icons on the App Store and Play Market 

Photo apps 

On the cusp of New Year holidays, this niche in particular – apps that allow you to edit photos or create funny festive masks – is where you will typically find updated seasonal icons. Holiday tinsel, New Year's trees, and snowflakes are as popular this season as last year. Here are some of the ideas and examples icons for Christmas collected by the RadASO team:

Shopping apps 

Shopping apps will draw the most users' attention by the end of the year, thanks to the numerous gift propositions. Brands often put holiday accessories and decorations on their mascots and company logos:

Game apps

According to our observations, this niche has the most seasonal icon updates in the lead-up to the holidays. Games also add special New Year locations and holiday accessories for the characters. Here are some examples you can use for inspiration:

Sports & health apps

On the threshold of the New Year, most people sum up the results, think over the new goals, and prepare the resolutions. Some of those refer to sporting performance, weight loss goals, or leading a healthy lifestyle in general. Thus, store users choose apps that can help them.  The RadASO team’s recommendation for apps in this field is to add holiday-related motives to stand out among numerous competitors. 

Banking apps 

Banks sometimes change their icon to create a festive atmosphere or draw users’ attention to the app. Some of them add New Year-related details to stand out from the competitors. 

New Year ideas for screenshots on the App Store and Play Market

Apps strive to grab the attention of new and existing users with not only icons but also screenshots. The main rule here is maintaining the familiar style while depicting something that will spark the users’ interest.

Photo apps 

Due to the intense competition in this niche, an app must constantly keep up its significance, draw attention, and stay memorable. Here are some examples of apps trying to stand out from the competitors and spark user interest with New Year’s novelties on screenshots:

Shopping apps 

Screenshots allow for not only showing New Year updates of the app, but also informing on ongoing sales and special offers.

Game apps 

Holiday-themed locations or festive attire on the characters can capture the users’ attention. That is why you should include them in the first three screenshots. 

Other apps 

New Year’s screenshots can also be relevant for other niches. For example, this VPN app created a holiday-related image that also shows their key advantages. 

For details on the app promotion in advance of the New Year festivities, please read our article  “App Strategies: Tips for App Optimization on Seasonal Holidays.” 

New Year’s updates of the app’s icons and screenshots can be relevant for every niche. They are an excellent way to stand out, create an atmosphere, and pass the holiday spirit to the users. However, apps will not always offer something else instead of this.

The text was based on the expert advice of ASO specialists of the RadASO team: Nataliia Kaidanovska.