24 Social Media Ad Examples To Get Inspired By

In this competitive advertising world, newsfeeds have become so saturated that it's challenging for companies and their ad agencies to cut through all that noise.

While Facebook is the leading social media platform for social media marketing, the rest of the channels are not far behind. This article will showcase some of the best social media ad examples in 2024 to inspire your next campaign.

‍Understanding social media demographics and marketing tools can enable brands to develop efficient strategies for maximum results. This article will present some of the best ad designs (including video ads and ads using new technologies) that generated exceptional results on different social media platforms.

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Facebook

The pandemic has changed everything, the way we work, the way we travel, the way we socialize. The one thing that remains constant, though, is Facebook's popularity.

In recent years, Facebook has become the go-to platform for more than 160 million businesses using social media content to advertise and communicate with their social community. Some brands capitalized on this channel's omnipresence in people's lives to fulfill their marketing goals through game-changing Facebook advertising.

MADE.COM

In 2023, MADE aimed to boost brand awareness by exploring innovative technologies despite the inherent risks. 

Amid the global pandemic's financial impact, MADE sought to enhance the virtual product experience through augmented reality in Facebook ads as a creative solution. And it worked amazingly well with their target audience.

Discovery

I think Discovery’s campaign is one of the best social media ad examples in the recent past. They ran great social media ads with celebrities and catchy hooks and aimed to draw new customers to Discovery+'s subscription streaming service using Facebook's dynamic ads for streaming. 

These ads leverage a machine learning model to automatically create personalized content that promotes titles matching individual interests and online behavior, eliminating the need to customize ads for each title.

Clinique

If you are looking for good social media ad examples to promote your newly launched products, Clinique is a great one. They promoted their new line of moisturizers with a global ad campaign in 20 markets to boost global skincare sales.

The brand used Facebook Story ads to create a thumb-stopping, mobile-first creative that addressed the multiple benefits of Clinique iD. The campaign was conducted in multiple markets, and in each region the ads reached local audience with centralized messaging and ad creative.

Visit Abu Dhabi

Visit Abu Dhabi, under the Department of Culture and Tourism, focuses on boosting awareness and positioning Abu Dhabi as a key tourist destination, especially in the UK. Using a mixed marketing model, out of all the social media channels, they identified Facebook as the optimal channel for return on ad spend. 

The campaign aimed to assess the impact of media ad spend on flight searches from the UK to Abu Dhabi, achieving a 4X return on ad spend and a 10.4% contribution to flight search revenue through Facebook Instant Articles and high-quality in-stream video ads.

Read our guide on creating a winning Facebook ad design to achieve results like Visit Abu Dhabi.

Oris

Oris presented all its catalogs as dynamic carousel ads, delivered across ten markets, with separate ad copy in local languages and relevant pricing. A simple yet effective social media strategy, don’t you think?

Instagram

Instagram, the other giant in Facebook's Meta universe, is helping businesses around the world drive results with eye-catching content and ads. With more than 1 billion users worldwide in 2021, this social media platform was established as one of the most popular among young adults, as well as many businesses.

PlanetArt

A photo printing company developed the FreePrints app for convenient smartphone photo printing, offering 40 free print designs monthly. 

To boost app downloads and sales among young adults, PlanetArt collaborated with influencer Karen X Cheng. Her prototype reels inspired 30 additional creators, and the brand utilized Karen's high-quality videos for engaging Instagram ads.

This is how you can use user-generated content to promote your products or services.

UNDONE

This custom watchmaker wanted to encourage people to learn more about its products and increase online sales. To do so, UNDONE tested how Instagram ads with product tags will perform.

With this type of ad, when potential shoppers tap on the advertisement with product tags, the link takes them to a landing page with product information within Instagram, and they can choose whether to make a purchase in-app or from the website.

BOSS

This brand covered the launch of its latest collection at the Milan Fashion Week with Instagram Live and Reels ads. The goal was to drive emotional brand engagement and promote the brand's second collab with Russel Athletic to strengthen appeal among the younger demographic. BOSS created entertaining and engaging content to boost its social media presence.

Creator and videographer Fred Stauffer created videos for Reels ads that showed 16 creators presenting their outfits in unique and entertaining ways.

The campaign generated a 1600% increase in social engagement on the BOSS Instagram account over four days.

Panasonic

The electric appliance manufacturer launched a new product and ran a campaign on Instagram to promote its new luxury toaster oven in Japan. Using consumer insights, Panasonic identified the best creative for Instagram ad formats based on the concept of "Crispy, fluffy and perfect toast.

The ads ran in Instagram feed and Stories and supported a "full-funnel" campaign approach, showing different creative variations, appealing to specific audiences.

DFS

Furniture retailer DFS wanted to increase online sales by adding product tags to its Instagram ads. By providing a smoother purchase experience with Instagram Shops, the brand helped people to move from inspiration to action.

By tapping on the ad, people were taken to the DFS Instagram Shop to browse the products and get all product information without leaving the Instagram app. A further tap then took people to the landing page to add the item to their cart.

Twitter

Brands advertising on Twitter in 2021 aimed at creating trending content, from groundbreaking launches to social campaigns that raised awareness.

Nick Jr.

This video ad tapped into nostalgia with a heart-warming video message, delivered by Steve from "Blue's Clues," to announce the show's 25th anniversary. The powerful message resonated strongly with the target audience - kids who grew up with the show.

The tone of voice, colors, and story perfectly spark emotions and drive engagement. This is a perfect example of how to create ads on social media that resonate with the audience.

Nintendo of America

#NintendoSwitch was the most Tweeted brand hashtag of the year and Nintendo of America cashed in on it with this red-colored ad design. While the design is pretty simple, combining just the two colors, we all know how eye-catching red can be.

Oreo

The milk's favorite cookie used its color blue and relied on brand recognition with its #OREOscope campaign.

The Twitter handle analyzed the fan's most recent Tweets to share a personalized OREO horoscope with tasty insights about their personality.

The clever use of data and personalization people around the world to share their personal Oreo horoscope with the community. This innovative ad was picked as “Best campaign to creatively push the envelope” by Twitter.

CeraVe

The #ThankYouNurses campaign by CeraVe celebrated the heroes of the pandemic with this carousel ad that introduced health workers as "Heroes behind the masks" with a heartwarming message and tasteful typography.

LinkedIn

With over 740 million users, LinkedIn has grown from a professional networking site to one of the top social media networks. LinkedIn ads often are not the first option for marketing, yet LinkedIn marketing solutions offer some unique advantages for achieving specific goals and reaching more professional audiences.

If you are looking for high-ticket clients, there is no better place than LinkedIn to do lead generation marketing.

Intel Corporation

Carousels are one of the best ad formats for brands to generate more clicks and engagement with their demographics. Intel used this comic book-like carousel ad to catch its target audience's attention, mainly IT professionals.

The brand relied on understanding the needs of its audience and listing the benefits of the product in a storytelling manner.

Airbnb

According to recent studies, 32% of LinkedIn users need six or more clicks to make a purchase decision. With this in mind, Airbnb created a carousel ad that focuses on brand awareness by offering some post-COVID tips.

KPMG Hungary

In a LinkedIn video ad, an intern's first evaluation turns comical when her boss unwittingly reveals bleak company prospects during a phone call. The ad creatively underscores the importance of choosing a reliable employer, showcasing the effectiveness of humor for impactful messaging.

This out-of-the-box thinking was a great approach for generating excellent results through humorous storytelling and efficient messaging.

Vidyard

As a video platform that offers users to create and host videos for sales and marketing campaigns, no wonder Vidyard chose to advertise through video ads, too.

This ad uses various backdrops to help people visualize how they can use the software. The CTA at the end is very compelling: "Give your campaigns an edge with video."

To maximize the results, Vidyard mentions its target audience in the ad copy: "Video designed for marketers."

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society

This Canadian charity focused on animal protection and animal advocacy and cleverly featured a cat's striking photo to promote its next conference. Using big, bold images as "scroll stoppers" is an excellent way of attracting the audience, especially when the target demographic is well-defined.

The image shows a brief caption that includes essential info without taking away from the visual effect of the main subject. The "Register" button is a straightforward call to action.

Salesforce

This exceptional LinkedIn carousel ad used different cards to feature a specific value proposition. The ad used the brand's vibrant colors as dominant background and eye-catching images and messages that resonated with the target audience.

TikTok

TikTok, with over 1 billion monthly active users, is a dynamic platform highly popular among Gen Z and Millennials, making it an attractive space for businesses to connect with younger demographics. Its emphasis on creative short-form videos, coupled with various ad formats, provides businesses with the opportunity to experiment and create engaging, viral content. 

The platform's innovative features, including e-commerce integration and diverse targeting options, enable businesses to tailor campaigns, increase brand exposure, and potentially drive direct sales.

Let’s look at some of the best TikTok ads to take inspiration from.

Amazon Fashion - Pajama Jam Challenge

Taking advantage of the holiday season, Amazon Fashion used TikTok ads to communicate its core values of inclusive fashion to a broader audience. They collaborated with Movers+Shakers, a creative agency, and designed a TikTok challenge that communicates this inclusivity, builds brand affinity, and amplifies their holiday Pajama Jam in a fun and festive way.

To do the challenge, the user had to do a fun catwalk to their original song in the pajamas ordered from Amazon. To create awareness, the hashtag #PajamaJam was created. The challenge attracted 13,000+ videos and hit a total of 1 billion views in the first 24 hours.

This is easily one of the best social media ad examples to create virality with user-generated content on TikTok.

Guess Jeans

The #InMyDenim hashtag challenge emerged as one of the pioneering initiatives on TikTok in the US and continues to stand out as one of the most successful social media ad campaigns.

This challenge prompted users to actively share videos showcasing their initial appearances in worn-out clothes, transforming into stylish outfits featuring Guess-branded denim products. 

The campaign spanned six days, and prominent TikTok personalities participated in the challenge, including @ourfire and @madisonwillow.

Kung Fu Tea

TikTok's unique hashtag challenges drive user-generated content, with an 8.5% engagement rate reported for this ad format. 

Kung Fu Tea's Boba Challenge exemplifies an effective execution, featuring customers attempting to poke a boba straw through their tea with their eyes closed. The simplicity, entertainment value, and brand alignment make it inclusive and conducive to virality, showcasing the power of TikTok ads.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren was one of the initial users of TikTok's Hashtag Challenge Plus, and started the #WinningRL campaign with actress and influencer Diana Silvers. 

Users were prompted to share real-life triumphs aligned with the US Open tennis event. The top three winners received official Polo Ralph Lauren US Open apparel. 

Beyond increased visibility, Hashtag Challenge Plus enabled TikTok users to directly access and purchase Ralph Lauren products through a branded in-app store.

If you want some social media ad examples for an online store, check out our guide on eCommerce ads and create social media ad campaigns that boost your sales.

Closing remarks

So, there were some of the best social media ad examples to take inspiration from.

Social media platforms offer different paths to reach different audiences. When used properly, a campaign can raise awareness, generate engagement, and boost sales. 

More and more brands are making bold moves and thinking outside the box about using the platforms' specific tools for advertising. Still, one of the most influential factors for a successful ad is the design.

For further tips and social media ad inspiration, read about the importance of graphic design on social media, and check out our list of the best brands on social media.