Angry Birds developer Rovio moved to strengthen its in-app advertising credentials in China, forming a “strategic partnership” with Madhouse, the Chinese mobile advertising network.  In a statement, the two firms said that the tie-up would see Madhouse “enable and deliver ads to Rovio properties across China – including placement of in-application banners and rich media ads as well as fully customised marketing solutions tailored to the needs of brand advertisers.”

Founded in 2006, Shanghai-based Madhouse claims to be China’s largest mobile ad network, reaching more than 75 percent of China’s mobile Internet users. Meanwhile, Rovio’s Angry Birds is one of the world’s most famous gaming apps, clocking up over 300 million downloads worldwide to date. Rovio forecasts that Angry Birds downloads in China will reach 100 million by the end of 2011.

“With 900 million mobile users, China is the second-largest market for Angry Birds downloads, just after the United States. This indicates the huge potential for mobile advertising, which is still to be recognised by brands,” said Henri Holm, SVP of Rovio Entertainment Asia. “By working with Madhouse, we hope to develop products specialised for the China market and further contribute to the growth of the mobile marketing industry in China.”

“In-app advertising is the future of mobile marketing, as well as a key development area for Madhouse,” said Madhouse CEO Joshua Maa.