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The Top 8 Ad Formats To Test Out in 2025
Paid Ads
Feb 17, 2025
Learn what ad formats e-commerce brands are using to generate conversions in 2025.
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Learn what ad formats e-commerce brands are using to generate conversions in 2025.
There’s nothing more soul crushing than conjuring up an ad concept, only to figure out the hard way that it doesn’t convert. So, instead of wasting time trying to reinvent the wheel and take a gamble, try out these 8 ad formats that some of the top e-commerce brands are using to turn scrollers into shoppers.
First up, let’s discuss ugly ads - ew David! Instead of wasting money on high tech camera videographers and fancy editing softwares, many brands are turning to purposefully low-fi ads that make the viewer contemplate whether the advertiser accidentally posted it. I know what you’re thinking, why would someone intentionally make an ad ugly? Well, these days customers (especially Gen Z) are looking for real, raw content. So, if your ads look too polished, it’s not going to resonate. Ugly ads also break through the noise by going against the gradient. Take Instagram, which is known as a highly curated platform. If you’re scrolling through a sea of polished content and then get hit with a disheveled-looking ugly ad, it’s going to stop you in your tracks. Lastly, ugly ads tell it like it is. Rather than hiding the messaging and ‘tricking’ consumers into buying, they're straight up about the fact that they're an ad, which people seem to respond positively to.
Hot Tip: When making your ugly ads, consider the following 3 elements: (1) Humour is your best friend (2) Embrace the imperfections (3) Don’t overthink it.
You’ve no doubt stumbled across these sorts of videos on your FYP recently. They usually consist of BTS footage, shot on a company owner's iPhone, paired with a voiceover of the brand journey from inception to now. Founders video ads are the perfect example of ‘selling without selling.’ Rather than shoving product in people’s faces and telling them to buy, a founder's video gets across the unique selling points of a brand and its products, all the while personifying the brand. This taps into the viewpoint that people buy from other people, rather than brands, and fosters a connection with you and the customer by emphasising company values, which is crucial for those situated in the solution/product aware stage of awareness.
Hot Tip: When crafting a script for founder story ads, don't brush over the lows. By tapping into the negatives as well as the positives, your brand story becomes more relatable to the viewer. - e.g. Did you make a mistake at the beginning which you then recovered from? Tell them.
Grid-style advertisements date all the way back to the print magazine era, and believe it or not, they are still popping off today. If we’re talking about it from a technical standpoint, using a grid gives the creative a structural foundation which elicits a positive response from viewers. These grid statics/videos are ideal for top of funnel audiences in particular, as they allow brands to showcase a variety of products at once. Let’s say you’re an activewear brand about to launch a new crop top available in 5 new colourways. Rather than highlighting 1, why not showcase them all alongside one another?
Hot Tip: Don’t overcomplicate the grid. You still want to make sure each product is able to be seen, even on an iPhone. Don’t go anymore than 3 (width) x 4 (height).
This next ad format is perfect for those situated towards the bottom end of the customer journey - aka, those at the 'product aware' stage where they are simply contemplating which brand to choose. There are a few reasons this ad format works so well. For starters, it’s another excuse to highlight 3-4 of your unique selling points. By comparing your product directly alongside a competitor who lacks certain features/solutions, it automatically makes your product appear superior. You’ll be happy to hear these ads are also pretty easy to create, and there are already a tonne of templates available (including in our very own Pulp free downloadable).
Hot Tip: If you’re worried about causing a Taylor vs Kanye-level feud, you can always blur out your direct competitor, or simply refer to your competitors more generally.
Similar to the reasons discussed under the founder’s story ad format, looping in employees and showcasing them packing orders enhances consumer trust. If something sees elements of themselves in a brand’s employees, they’re more likely to buy from said brand. Not to mention, there’s something quite intriguing about knowing who exactly is packing your order.
Hot Tip: If you don’t have access to a warehouse setting, you can still participate in EGC using your office space as the backdrop. One of our favourite ways brands use this format is around sale periods where each employee is interviewed on what they plan on purchasing from the brand while the sale is live.
Has your brand made the news headlines in a reputable publication recently? Then tell people about it! Bringing attention to the fact that your brand has copped recognition from an outlet is a great way of enhancing your brand via third party credibility. It’s basically the publication’s way of telling people they approve of your product, which is naturally more powerful than it sounds coming from the brand itself because, well, let’s face it you could be a touch biassed.
Hot Tip: When creating this type of content, you ideally want to highlight a publication that is relevant to your industry and is one your target audience are familiar with. For example, if you're in the fashion industry, the ideal publication would be a glossy high fashion magazine, such as Vogue.
As the name suggestions, this video format involves responding back to a comment that frequently makes an appearance in your comment section. This style can be highly effective when a brand is looking to debunk a myth, or clarify a key message. For example, say you are a skincare brand promoting a new facial moisturiser that contains SPF50. Someone in your comments may ask whether it includes SPF, or maybe a ‘Karen’ leaves a sassy comment about the lack of SPF used in skincare products. This presents the perfect opportunity for you to post another video commenting back, and addressing the pain point. Once you’ve posted organically, take that exact video and use it as an ad. Not only is this good because it once again, itdoes an effective job of ‘soft selling’ the product, but it also appears organic, allowing the ad to blend nicely into the social feed.
Hot Tip: Make sure to start these videos off by addressing the comment in question and pointing towards the comment, as this will draw the viewers attention to the comment in question and provide relevant context.
Last up, let’s turn our attention towards authority videos. The best examples of these videos are often seen across the skincare/healthcare industry and often feature a third party professional commenting on the brand/product. Similar to the ‘As Seen In’ format, this ad type once again enhances your credibility and trust in the eyes of consumers. There’s a few ways to go about this style of ad, but one that’s often seen is a green screen video in which a before and after result is shown and the authority person appears on top of the screenshot, pointing towards the results and throwing in their 2 cents.
Hot Tip: You certainly can use someone from your business as the authority figure. However, if you decide to do so, make sure to state any relevant information - e.g if using the founder of a skincare brand, what does their background in skincare look like? How many years have they been in the business? Have they studied a relevant field? Etc.
So there you have it. Whether you’re an in-house ads manager or on that agency grind, try these ad types out across Meta and thank us later.
