9+ TikTok Ad Examples That Work (And Why)

TikTok ad examples can teach us a lot.

With its rapidly growing user base and highly engaged audience, TikTok presents a unique and powerful venue for brands to showcase their creativity and connect with consumers in meaningful ways. 

However, it's not always clear how to create winning TikTok ads that stand out in this dynamic environment.

In this blog post, we'll show you some of the best TikTok ad examples that you can use as inspiration for your own campaigns. 

We'll dissect what makes these ads successful, the strategies behind their performance, and how you can apply these insights to elevate your advertising game. 

Plus, we'll also show you where you can find hundreds more winning TikTok ad examples, complete with a breakdown of their performance metrics.

Let's jump in and explore the potential of TikTok advertising.

The Case For Using TikTok Ads

TikTok is more than just a passing trend it's an app with staggering reach. Its 1.5 billion users collectively spend 4.43 billion minutes watching TikTok videos each day, surpassing even Instagram, where users spend 3.91 billion minutes daily. 

This immense user engagement offers a fertile ground for advertisers to capture attention and drive conversions.

Moreover, TikTok is not just about passive consumption; it's a platform where users are actively influenced by what they see. 

A remarkable 71.2% of TikTok shop users have purchased something after encountering it in their feed. This highlights the platform's power to convert viewers into customers.

TikTok ads also outperform traditional TV ads. One study found that despite having a lower frequency than TV ads, TikTok ads generated roughly the same amount of dollars per 1,000 impressions. 

Shockingly, only 26% of marketers are using TikTok. With such big opportunities for brands on TikTok, more marketers should add this platform to their social marketing strategies.

9+ TikTok Ad Examples That Work (And Why)

So, let's explore standout TikTok ads that exemplify success. 

These TikTok Ad examples highlight effective strategies and creative approaches to inspire your campaigns.

For the first five TikTok Ad examples, we’ll focus on five different ad concepts. Each of these TikTok ad ideas works on the platform, so think about ways you can slot your products into each concept.

We’ve had to repurpose these ads as GIFs, meaning they don’t have sound. As you know, audio is a big part of TikTok (trending songs, Ai-voiceovers etc).  We’ve provided a link to the original ad where possible to give you the full experience. 

1. The 'POV' Style TikTok Ad: Volta Loop

POV stands for ‘point of view’ and is a common structure used in memes and ads on TikTok. This format works because of how familiar it is to users of the app.

Electron Empire’s ad for their Autumn SALE leverages the POV (point of view) format to promote their Volta-Loop with a 50% discount.

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Relatable Hook: The ad starts with a common frustration: "POV: Your AirPods died at the gym?” This instantly grabs attention as many viewers can relate to the annoyance of dealing with dead earbuds and the gym's terrible music.

• Problem and Solution: The video showcases the problem of dead AirPods and introduces the Volta-Loop as the perfect solution. This clear problem-solution setup effectively communicates the product’s value.

• Authentic Production: Filmed using a regular smartphone without special lighting or effects, the ad feels more like native content than a traditional advertisement. This low production value makes the ad seem authentic and relatable, which helps to hook users from the start.

• Effective Call-to-Action: The ad promotes the Autumn SALE and a 50% discount, encouraging viewers to take immediate action and purchase the Volta-Loop.

This POV ad effectively combines a relatable scenario, a clear solution, and an authentic presentation to engage viewers and drive conversions. For your brand, consider what major problem your product solves and how you can introduce it as the solution in 15 seconds or less.

👉 Link to full ad & performance analytics

2. The ‘Respond to a Question’ TikTok Ad: Thuma

Responding to a question is a powerful ad concept. The reason? It has built-in social proof. 

When you see a question, it instantly communicates that other people are interested in this product.’

This TikTok ad example from Thuma uses the question concept to promote their bed.

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Built-In Social Proof: Starting with a question suggests that others are already interested in the product, instantly adding credibility and drawing viewers in.

• Influencer-Style Video: The ad uses an influencer-style format that feels natural on TikTok, blending seamlessly with user-generated content. This makes it more relatable and less like a traditional ad.

• Aspirational Visuals: The video showcases an aspirational bedroom setup, allowing prospective customers to envision themselves living in such a space. This visual appeal enhances the desirability of the product.

How well does this ad work? With 86,410 likes, 3,071 shares, and 648 comments this ad resonates with their audience and generates sales.

👉 Link to full Ad & performance metrics

3. The ‘What I Ordered & What I Got’ TikTok Ad Example: Amazon

Viewers are drawn to genuine reactions and real experiences. That’s why the ‘what I ordered vs what I got ad works so well.

It’s like a speedy unboxing, where viewers get insight into how a particular item looks in real life.

eCommerce giant Amazon runs several of these style ads for its fashion products. The ads are short and feature several quick camera cuts to keep engagement high. 

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Visual Engagement: The ad opens with the image of the item on Amazon’s site, followed by quick cuts to an influencer modeling the clothing. These rapid transitions keep viewer interest high.

• Authentic Presentation: Featuring influencers modeling the clothing offers a realistic view, helping potential customers visualize themselves wearing the product.

• Emotional Connection: Highlighting the influencer’s excitement or satisfaction adds an extra layer of engagement, making the ad more relatable and compelling.

You don’t have to limit these types of ads to fashion retail. We’ve seen them used for everything from coffee machines to power tools. Whatever you’re testing this ad format for, just make sure to keep it snappy and visually engaging.

4. The #LifeHack Style Ad: Proctor & Gamble

"Life hack" ad formats work exceptionally well on TikTok for several reasons. 

They provide immediate, practical value, offering solutions to common problems, which makes the content engaging and highly shareable.

For example in this ad from Proctor & Gamble, an influencer shares a quick hack to get an ‘outdoor smell’ on your bedsheets.

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Immediate Value: The Proctor & Gamble ad opens with the text "laundry hack" on the screen, immediately signaling practical value. An influencer shares a quick hack to get an ‘outdoor smell’ on your bedsheets, capturing viewer interest from the start.

• Relatable Content: The ad features a girl talking directly to the camera, sharing a secret she discovered. This direct communication feels personal and relatable, making viewers more likely to engage with the content.

• Compelling Conclusion: The ad concludes with the influencer smelling her fresh sheets and urging the audience to try the hack. This positive reaction and call to action effectively encourage viewers to follow her advice.

The concise, bite-sized nature of life hack ads fits perfectly within TikTok's fast-paced environment, capturing attention quickly. 

Life hack ads also encourage viewers to try the hacks themselves, driving direct engagement with the brand or product.

By seamlessly integrating products into the hack, the ads show practical use, prompting purchases without ever really feeling like a sales pitch.

5. The '#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt' Style Ad: Amazing Privacy Case

The #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend has become a powerful tool for advertisers, driving significant engagement and conversions. 

A standout example is the ad for the Amazing Privacy Case, which has gained remarkable traction due to its engaging script and compelling hook. 

The ad's caption, "FREE SHIPPING + 50% OFF," immediately appeals to potential customers by highlighting an attractive deal. With an impressive 121,074 likes, this ad's popularity is clear.

Why This Ad Works

• Community Identification Hook: The voiceover starts with "Things TikTok made me buy," tapping into the TikTok community and creating a sense of relatability. This hook effectively draws viewers in by leveraging the platform's popular trends.

• Product Demonstration: The ad effectively showcases the privacy and convenience features of the phone case. The voiceover explains, "This phone case has a built-in privacy screen. From the side, your screen looks black now. No one can read your texts." This clear demonstration of the product's unique selling points engages viewers and illustrates its value.

• A Dash of Urgency: Emphasizing the limited-time offer, the voiceover mentions, "Summer sale ends soon." This creates a sense of urgency, encouraging viewers to act quickly and take advantage of the discount.

By combining these elements, the ad not only captures attention but also drives significant engagement and conversions, making it a prime example of the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend's effectiveness.

👉Link to full ad & performance analysis

6. Using Influencers and UGC Content: Smile Direct Club

Leveraging influencers and user-generated content (UGC) to explain how a service works is a powerful strategy on TikTok. 

Smile Direct Club excels in this approach by collaborating with influencers who share their personal experiences with the service, creating relatable and trustworthy content.

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Authenticity and Trust: Smile Direct Club partners with influencers who document their journey using the service, from initial impressions to the results. This authenticity builds trust, as potential customers see real people benefiting from the service.

• Relatable Storytelling: Influencers share their stories in a conversational and relatable manner, making the content more engaging. By showcasing the entire process, they provide a comprehensive overview that answers common questions and alleviates potential concerns.

• Visual Demonstrations: The influencers visually demonstrate how the service works, such as showing the impression kit, the aligners, and the progress over time. This clear visual representation helps demystify the process and highlights the ease and convenience of the service.

By combining influencer endorsements with UGC, Smile Direct Club effectively educates potential customers about their service in a trustworthy and engaging way, driving higher engagement and conversions.

More Great TikTok Ad Examples

These next TikTok ad examples don’t follow any of the formats above. But they’re still effective ads. So while the trendy formats above are a great place to start, don’t let them limit your creativity. 

Remember, the best ad is the one that drives the best results, regardless of what style it is. So, the key with any form of paid social advertising is to continuously test ideas, and let the data lead the way.

1. Demonstrate a Specific Use Case: Factor Foods

This ad from FactorFoods is a conversion-focused campaign that features a real person and scene and employs a relatable problem hook type. We particularly like the first second of the video where the fridge opening acts as a visual hook to stop users scrolling.

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🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Demographic Call Out: The ad opens with the on-screen text ‘The best meal plans for singles’. By speaking directly to their target audience, this ad feels personalized and more engaging for those likely to convert.

• Product Review and Benefits: The ad clearly outlines the benefits of FactorFoods, emphasizing reduced food waste and convenient, healthy meals- “They only take two minutes to heat up... It takes all the prep and mess of cooking out of the equation, so you can just enjoy clean meals that are good for you."

• Problem & Solution: Addressing the common issue of time-consuming meal prep, the ad presents FactorFoods as a solution with ready-to-heat meals. The voiceover states, "It takes all the prep and mess of cooking out of the equation, so you can just enjoy clean meals that are good for you."

• Incentivized Call to Action: The voiceover encourages viewers to check out next week's menu and use a discount code: "Go take a look at next week's menu on their site, and you can use this code... Thank me later and let me know what you think." This drives traffic to their website and incentivizes immediate action.

By using real people, addressing relatable issues, and providing clear solutions and incentives, FactorFoods effectively engages viewers and drives conversions with their TikTok ad.

👉Link to full ad & performance analysis

2. Native Product Demonstration: Sephora

Sephora’s ad for the Cicapair Color Corrector showcases a highly effective approach by visually demonstrating the product’s efficacy without additional text or narration. 

It’s the kind of low-effort ad you might think wouldn’t work or would be thrown out at the ideation phase. But it’s a reminder to test everything and let the data do the talking. This ad is killing it in terms of performance, in the 99th percentile of all ads in the beauty vertical. 

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Product Demonstration: By visually showing how the color corrector reduces redness, the ad immediately captures viewers' attention and convinces them of the product’s effectiveness.

• Authenticity and Relatability: The use of a real person in a genuine setting adds authenticity, making the content relatable and building trust and credibility with the audience.

• Native-looking content: The ad looks like a TikTok your friend might share. Its low-production value works to its advantage. Remember, users aren’t on TikTok to be advertised to, so this type of ad can resonate better as it doesn’t feel like an ad.

By combining a straightforward product demonstration, and authentic video style, Sephora’s ad effectively engages viewers and drives traffic, showcasing the product's benefits in a clear and relatable manner.

👉Link to full ad & performance analysis

3. Hack the Algorithm: Muller

The next TikTok Ad example comes from the dairy brand Müller. Increasingly we’re seeing advertisers create ads that leverage TikTok’s algorithm to boost reach and conversions. This is a perfect example of an ad optimized to increase watch time and boost it’s performance.

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Optimized for the algorithm: One of the key metrics that TIkTok uses to judge the quality of a piece of content is video watch time. This ad sparks curiosity using a countdown timer combined with the text ‘revealing in…’. Users are tempted to wait for the reveal, which boosts their watch time, signaling to the platform that it’s engaging content.

Creating ads designed to boost social media engagement is a powerful strategy that can dramatically decrease your CPMs. Think about ways you can get users to engage with your ad to hack the algorithm and get cheaper clicks.

Another example we’ve seen recently is ads that use text saying “The person whose initial starts with ‘J’ needs to buy you this” - which gets shares. 

Often this is paired up with a slow reveal (e.g. a black coffee mug where the letter doesn’t appear until milk is poured in) to boost watch time too.

Think about how you can create ads optimized to boost engagement, convincing TikTok that your content is worthy of sharing far and wide.

4. Capture Interest Immediately: Jector X

If you don’t capture interest in the first second of your ad, it’s unlikely to perform well.

The Jector X ad effectively piques interest and boosts watch time by starting with intriguing text: “Babe, stop buying cool sh**t from TikTok.” 

This clever hook draws viewers in immediately, eager to see what product the ad is about.

🔎Why This TikTok Ad Works:

• Piquing Interest: The ad starts with the text “Babe, stop buying cool sh**t from TikTok” on the screen, instantly grabbing attention and creating curiosity about the product being featured.

• Delayed Reveal: Initially showing the projector from the back, the ad builds suspense as viewers try to figure out what it is. This delayed reveal strategy increases watch time and keeps the audience engaged.

• Product Demonstration: The ad then transitions to a clear demonstration, showcasing the projector playing videos on the wall and roof of a darkened bedroom. This visual display highlights the product's capabilities in an engaging and relatable setting.

• Relatable Scenario: Framed as a playful interaction between partners, with the response being the projector you've (the viewer) bought, the ad adds a humorous and relatable touch. This setup resonates with viewers who are familiar with discovering and purchasing cool products from TikTok.

By combining an intriguing hook, a delayed reveal, and a compelling product demonstration within a relatable context, Jector X effectively engages viewers and showcases the unique features of their projectors.

What do These TikTok Ad Examples Have in Common?

Drawing from the successful examples above, several common elements make these TikTok ads effective. 

By incorporating these best practices, you can create engaging and high-converting TikTok ads for their products.

Think of these best practices like a checklist for your creatives.

1. Format Your Ads Correctly

First and foremost ad formatting is critical. Follow the official TikTok guidelines, specifically the ‘safe zone’. This allows TikTok to share your ads as intended, without being obscured by their UI overlay.

2. Start with a Strong Hook

Every successful TikTok ad begins with an attention-grabbing hook. Whether it's a relatable frustration like in the Jector X ad ("Babe, stop buying cool sh**t from TikTok"), a life hack introduction like Proctor & Gamble’s ad, or an engaging POV question like in the Thuma ad, the initial seconds must capture viewers' interest.

3. Use Authentic, Relatable Content

Authenticity is key on TikTok. Ads that feature real people and genuine scenarios resonate better with the audience. For example, FactorFoods uses a real person discussing the convenience of their meal service, while Amazon’s ‘what I ordered vs. what I got’ ad feels like a native TikTok video with its unboxing style.

4. Demonstrate the Product in Use

Showing the product in action helps potential customers understand its benefits quickly. Thuma’s ad visually demonstrates their bed's features, and the Proctor & Gamble ad shows the influencer using the detergent to achieve the desired result. A clear product demonstration can effectively communicate the product’s value.

5. Incorporate Emotional Reactions

Capturing genuine emotional reactions, like the influencer’s satisfaction in the Amazon ad, adds relatability and trustworthiness. Highlighting these reactions can make your product seem more appealing and credible.

6. Highlight Unique Selling Points

Clearly convey what makes your product stand out. The Thuma ad emphasizes eco-friendly materials and durability, while the Jector X ad showcases the projector’s versatility in a relatable scenario. Focus on what differentiates your product from the competition.

7. Create a Sense of Urgency

Encourage immediate action by creating urgency. Mentioning a limited-time offer, like in the FactorFoods ad, or a seasonal sale, as seen in Electron Empire’s ad, can prompt viewers to act quickly.

8. Basic Production is Not a Bad Thing

High production value isn’t always necessary. Many successful TikTok ads, such as Electron Empire’s ad, are filmed with a smartphone and minimal editing. This simplicity makes the ad feel more genuine and less like traditional advertising.

9. Use Engaging Captions

An effective caption can reinforce the ad’s message and prompt viewer action. For instance, Thuma’s caption "Built to last a lifetime" highlights durability, while Amazon’s caption underscores the authenticity of their product.

10. Test and Optimizate

Finally, testing different versions of your ad with slight variations will help determine what works best. This could involve changing the hook, the call-to-action, the visuals, or even the time of day the ad is run. Keep refining your best ads to drive even better results.

By integrating these best practices, you can create TikTok ads that are engaging, relatable, and effective in driving conversions.

Need Help? Use AI to Create Amazing TikTok Ads

Generative AI in eCommerce continues to advance. If you’re struggling to create high-performing TikTok ads, AI can help.

For example, here’s an AI-generated TikTok ad example from pizza company Dominoes:

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Minta is one of the best AI video generators that can help you drive better results. 

Minta seamlessly syncs with your eCommerce store, utilizing AI algorithms to generate thousands of ready-to-use creatives tailored to your brand. 

By analyzing your product catalog and customer data, Minta creates fully-branded product videos that showcase your offerings in the best light.

Why Choose Minta for TikTok Ads

1. Effortless Creativity: Minta takes the guesswork out of ad creation, delivering professionally designed videos that capture attention and drive engagement.

2. Fully Branded Content: Ensure consistency across your marketing campaigns with fully-branded product videos that align with your brand identity.

3. Data-Driven Optimization: Minta leverages AI to optimize ad performance continuously, maximizing your ROI and driving sales.

4. Streamlined Workflow: Say goodbye to hours spent on manual ad creation. Minta streamlines the process, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.

5. Scalable Solution: Whether you're a small boutique or a large eCommerce enterprise, Minta scales to meet your needs, generating as many creatives as required to fuel your advertising efforts.

By leveraging data-driven insights and automated creative generation, Minta empowers merchants to create compelling ads that resonate with their audience and boost sales.

Use These TikTok Ad Examples to Drive More Sales

In conclusion, the right TikTok ad can make all the difference in capturing attention and driving sales. 

From starting with a strong hook to using authentic, relatable content, these examples highlight the strategies that work best. 

Demonstrating your product in action, showcasing genuine emotional reactions, and emphasizing unique selling points are key to creating compelling ads. 

Adding a sense of urgency and keeping your production simple and authentic can further enhance your ads' effectiveness.

Leverage these best practices to create your own engaging TikTok ads. 

And remember, tools like Minta can simplify this process, providing AI-generated, fully-branded videos that resonate with your audience. 

By integrating these insights and utilizing advanced tools, you can elevate your TikTok advertising game and achieve impressive results.

Start creating impactful TikTok ads today and watch your conversions and sales soar. Happy advertising!