Key Takeaways
- Social media ads get about a second to stop the scroll. The hook does most of the work.
- The best ones feel native to the feed. They borrow formats people already watch, like trends, "what's in my bag" videos and text-message chats.
- Showing beats telling. A product in action does more than a list of features.
- Proof and comparisons answer the question every viewer has: why this one?
- You don't always need a new shoot. Old UGC, past winning ads and employees can all become new ads.
Social media ads are paid posts that show up in people's feeds on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms. They look like the content around them, which is the whole challenge: they have to stop someone mid-scroll, make a point fast and give them a reason to act.
Below are 18 social media ads we've made for clients, grouped by the job each one does. Most first ran in our newsletter, so the "why it works" notes are pulled from what we wrote at the time.
Hooks That Stop the Scroll
1. Maximus: The Trend Transition
The ad opens on a clip that has nothing to do with the product, a bucket of water to the face, then smoothly turns into an ad for Maximus.
Why it works: It borrows an organic TikTok trend where people "take a random, very eye-catching clip and then smoothly and hilariously transition it to being about their company." It's clickbaity, but funny enough that it comes out in the brand's favor instead of feeling annoying.
2. The Webby Awards: Skip the Introduction
A creator testimonial for The Webby Awards that opens with "I kind of lost it when I won this thing," then fast cuts of him holding the award, and only then says who he is.
Why it works: Most testimonials start with "Hey, my name is..." which gives nobody a reason to keep watching. Leading with the emotional moment and saving the introduction for later turns a standard testimonial into something people stay for.
3. PineMelon: When in Doubt, Use Cats
Two cats have a comic-style conversation about not wanting to go grocery shopping, over a video of a PineMelon delivery van.
Why it works: It's entertaining, it has a UGC feel, and it didn't need a creator shoot at all. In our words at the time: "If you need to grab attention, when in doubt, use cats."
4. Dekáf: The 99 Problems Trend
A POV ad built on the "99 problems" trend, for people in their 30s who still love coffee but can't handle caffeine anymore.
Why it works: Trends make ads feel native to the platform, as long as the fit is natural. This one blends into the feed while still grabbing attention, and the POV footage was shot in house, a style that keeps performing for us.
Show the Product Working
5. Dremel: Show, Don't Tell
A clean motion ad that shows what the Dremel tool can do, cut after cut, instead of listing value props.
Why it works: "Listing off value props can cause fatigue. And sleepy scrollers don't stop." Showing the tool in use holds attention and builds the brand at the same time, something fully native UGC can't really do.
6. Cabinet: POV Unboxing With Reviews
Hands-only footage of a Cabinet order being unboxed and the pills poured into the glass container, with a running overlay of customer reviews.
Why it works: The unboxing has satisfying, ASMR-like sounds, and each review on screen was picked to hit a different value prop. The viewer gets the product experience and the proof at once.
7. Maximus: Text Behind the Product
The copy sits behind the product instead of on top of it, cascading through different lines while the product stays still in front.
Why it works: Keeping the product static stops all that moving text from feeling busy, and the layered look is different enough to stand out. It works for physical products, and for apps too: swap the product for a hand holding a phone.
Creator Content With a Twist
8. Capitalize: Talk While Doing Something
A creator explains Capitalize's 401(k) rollover service while getting ready for work and doing her hair.
Why it works: Watching someone do something while they talk is far more interesting than another person talking to the camera, so people watch longer. It's also a reminder that UGC isn't only for beauty and CPG. This one sells a fintech product.
9. Lansinoh: The Everyday Carry
Inspired by "everyday carry" videos, a mom walks through what she packs in her bag to take her toddler to a restaurant: a book, some toys, and the Lansinoh product.
Why it works: People love seeing what's in someone else's bag. Because she shows other items first, the product comes up naturally and the whole thing feels less like an ad.
10. SmartyPants: Why Us, Not Them
It opens with the camera looking up from inside the bottle, then goes into an authentic testimonial on why SmartyPants is better than other vitamins.
Why it works: Parents don't need convincing to give kids vitamins. They need a reason to pick this brand. Once someone clicks an ad for a product, they start seeing ads from every competitor, so the ad leans hard on what makes SmartyPants different.
11. The Webby Awards: Employee-Generated Content
Team members around the office answer one question, "What's your favorite moment from last year's Webbys?", with footage showing what they're talking about.
Why it works: Employees are an easy source of authentic content. The same idea works with any question, like "What's your favorite product we make?" And if the team is remote, a recorded video call can work too.
Comparisons and Proof
12. Playground: A Better "Us vs. Them"
It opens with a clear problem for the audience, then moves into a comparison showing why Playground is the better option.
Why it works: Everyone has seen the static "us vs. them" ad. This takes the familiar idea and makes it move. If the problem applies to you, you know in the first few seconds. This format has performed across several of our accounts.
13. Hometap: Putting It on a Pedestal
Hometap needs a lot of explaining, so instead of a side-by-side chart, the comparison is animated in sync with the voiceover and ends with Hometap literally on a pedestal.
Why it works: It turns an education-heavy comparison into something easy to follow. Comparisons are one of the formats we lean on when a new client starts, because they tend to gain traction fast.
14. One Sol: The Animated Before and After
An animated hook showing the possible results, which leads into UGC clips with a lot of reviews layered on top.
Why it works: The animated hook shows the possible result in a way that stops the scroll, and the stack of reviews backs it up. In our words at the time, it's a combination "you definitely need to be testing."
Make New Ads From What You Have
15. One Sol: Old Clips, New Ad
Ten different UGC clips in 17 seconds, each picked to show a different benefit or use, next to a scrolling carousel of the product's packaging and flavors.
Why it works: Most brands have creator footage sitting in a folder. This turns it into a fast, benefit-packed ad without a new shoot.
16. Nibbles: The Ad About the Ad
It starts with a clip of an older Nibbles ad and the text "You might have seen this ad floating around the internet...", then a new creator explains how that ad led them to the card, and how it saved them during an emergency vet visit.
Why it works: It uses a past winner as the hook. People who saw the original recognize it, and people who didn't get curious. The story around it is new, so it gets the benefit of familiarity without the fatigue.
Motion and Hybrids
17. Nibbles: Problem, Then Solution
It opens with the problem, "vet costs have risen 60% in the last 10 years," shown with an animated dog and a graph, then introduces Nibbles' pet-rewards credit card and its benefits over candid photos of real pets.
Why it works: It's the classic problem and solution structure, but the mix of animation and real pet photos makes it stand out in the feed. It's a combination we use a lot.
18. Uber: Ride the Big Moment
Made for the World Cup, it opens with app screens over game footage, talks straight to soccer fans, shows popular game-day destinations and ends with a direct call to action.
Why it works: Big cultural moments put everyone in the same mindset. Not every trend is worth an ad, but a tournament that has fans heading across town all month is a natural fit for a ride app.
What These Social Media Ads Have in Common
- They earn the first second. A trend, a cat, an emotional line or a strong visual comes before the brand.
- They feel like the feed. Most borrow formats people already watch and share.
- They show more than they tell. Products get used, not described.
- They answer "why this one?" Reviews, comparisons and testimonials do the persuading.
- They come in every format. UGC, motion, hybrids and animated statics all show up, because different people respond to different things.
More Ad Examples
For examples by category, see our DTC ad examples, CPG ad examples, supplement ad examples, beauty ad examples and B2B ad examples. For openers that work anywhere, see our Meta ad hook examples. For data on what performs, see our Meta Ads Statistics hub.
How We Make Social Media Ads at Biddyco
Biddyco is a creative agency for Meta ads that makes UGC, motion, static and hybrid ads for brands spending $100K+ a month. We work across 100+ accounts spending $20M+ a month on Meta, so each batch starts from what's working across categories, and new files land every 2 to 4 weeks.
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FAQ
What are social media ads?
Paid posts that appear in people's feeds and stories on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. They look like regular content, and they're targeted and optimized by the platform to reach people likely to buy or sign up.
What makes a good social media ad?
A hook that stops the scroll in the first second, a format that feels native to the feed, a product shown in action, and proof like reviews or a comparison that answers why someone should choose you.
What types of social media ads work best?
There's no single best type. UGC, motion graphics, statics and hybrids all win in different accounts, and the strongest accounts run a mix so they can reach different kinds of buyers.
How long should a social media ad be?
As long as the message needs. In our data on Meta video ad length, the median video ad was about 29 seconds, and cost per result was about the same at every length. The first 3 seconds matter far more than the total.
Do social media ads need to be made with creators?
No. Creator UGC works well, but so do motion ads, animated statics, employee-generated content and ads built from footage you already have.
Can you reuse old ads?
Yes. Old UGC clips can be cut into new ads, and a past winning ad can become the hook for a fresh one. Both give you new creative without starting from scratch.
