20 Best TikTok Ads To Spark Your Next Campaign Idea

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Imagine you're scrolling through TikTok and a video catches your attention. You stop, watch the funny clip, and learn about a brand you’ve never heard of. Before you know it, you’re clicking the link in their bio to learn more. TikTok ads can do that for your business. They can capture attention, drive engagement, and boost brand awareness. Target the right audience and they can even help you make sales. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best TikTok ads to help you create your own high-performing TikTok ad campaign. You’ll learn how to inspire your target audience, drive engagement, and create a TikTok Ecommerce Strategy that boosts your brand. You’ll also get a list of creative best practices to follow, proven to elevate your TikTok ad performance.

Before you start creating your best TikTok ads, tracking your sales before, during, and after your campaign is a good idea. Shophunter’s Shopify sales tracker can help you do just that. This tool allows you to easily monitor your sales and determine how your TikTok ad campaign impacts your bottom line.

What Are the 6 Popular Types of TikTok Ads?

TikTok ads are a great option if you’re looking for a fresh way to reach consumers. Not only is TikTok a new platform for many brands, but it’s also quickly becoming a go-to for users looking for purchasing inspiration.

40% of TikTok users say they prefer TikTok over other platforms for discovering new products. Using TikTok ads allows brands to target their audiences precisely while standing out. And the best part? The ad formats are highly customizable, allowing brands to promote their unique offerings creatively.

TikTok Ads Are Great for E-commerce

Whether we like it or not, TikTok is becoming a major advertising channel for more brands. And despite the skeptics who initially thought this channel only attracted kids, companies are increasingly exploring TikTok and increasing their advertising budgets for this platform.

TikTok is not just another advertising channel where brands can repackage their existing ads and make them work there. Here, different rules apply to building your audience. Organic videos, influencer marketing, and long-term partnerships are just a few more successful ways to create campaigns on TikTok.

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 daily, surpassing even Instagram, where users spend 3.91 billion daily.

This immense user engagement offers advertisers a fertile ground for capturing attention and driving conversions. TikTok is not just about passive consumption; it's a platform where users are actively influenced by what they see.

The Untapped Potential of TikTok Ads: Why Marketers Should Embrace This High-Conversion Platform

A remarkable 71.2% of TikTok shop users have purchased something after encountering it in their feed, highlighting the platform's power to convert viewers into customers. TikTok ads also outperform traditional TV ads.

One study found that despite being less frequent 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.

6 Popular Types of TikTok Ads

One of the biggest benefits of running TikTok campaigns? Creative freedom! Chances are there are multiple TikTok ad formats you could align with your brand’s goals. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, here's something to keep in mind: Creator content and UGC are proven to boost performance across all types of TikTok ads. TikTok has consistently talked up the power of creator ads.

Maximizing Engagement with Spark Ads: Integrating Influencers and UGC in Your TikTok Strategy

Specifically, creator-based Spark Ads boast:

Higher completion rates

Engagement rates

Conversions than non-Spark Ads

As we explore the TikTok ad types below, brainstorm how you can weave your influencer content and UGC into your campaigns. Some formats make doing so more accessible than others. Creators should be a cornerstone of your TikTok ad strategy regardless. And with that, let's dive into the TikTok ad types and examples!

1. TikTok Spark Ads

TikTok Spark Ads resemble videos from creators you'd seen on your #FYP. With Spark Ads, brands turn organic videos into sponsored content. These videos allow brands to piggyback on their creators' audiences for better targeting and greater reach. Spark Ads are presented from the creator’s account rather than the brand. These details boost Spark Ads' performance because, at a glance, they don't feel like ads at all.

Leveraging Spark Ads for Authentic, High-Engagement TikTok Campaigns

The Spark format is also unique among all TikTok ads because of the "sparking" process. Turning organic videos into TikTok ads requires creators to exchange a unique ad authorization code with brands. While brands cannot edit videos they run as Spark Ads, this isn't necessarily a negative. No edits ensure authenticity and eliminate the need to "optimize" ad creatives by hand.

These TikTok Ads are best for brands:

They want to serve their ads alongside organic videos seamlessly.

They want to sell a physical product (e.g., CPG or retail brands). They seek to increase engagement and drive more top-of-funnel awareness from TikTok.

2. TikTok Search Ads

A relatively new TikTok ad type, Search ads are delivered when they hit the search button on the FYP. How do they work? When brands turn on the Search Ads toggle, ads are automatically created from the advertiser's existing content and get served similarly to organic content in search results.

These ads are delivered like other in-feed TikTok ads across various positions. The transition from search results to a promoted video feels natural. The difference is that these ads have a “sponsored” label. Using TikTok’s algorithms, they’ll match with users based on relevancy, user intent (derived from the search term), and user behavior.

Enhancing Ad Performance with TikTok’s Search Ad Toggle: Why It Works for Awareness and Engagement

Note that the Search Ad toggle is automatically activated when a brand sets up an in-feed ad campaign but can be toggled off anytime. It generally makes sense to leave it on. This new type of ad has proven to be highly effective, with 70% of ad groups seeing more efficient performance than not. Makes sense, given the popularity of TikTok SEO among the platform's target audience.

These TikTok Ads are best for brands:

Focused on building awareness and increasing engagement among TikTokers Targeting or retargeting prospects that have shown purchase intent based on their activity

3. TikTok Shopping Ads (Video Shopping Ads)

TikTok Shopping ads are shoppable videos that appear as TikTokers scroll through their #FYP or search results. Users browse TikTok Shopping ads by tapping a product anchor link or card.

Note that you can use your call-to-action via Video Shopping Ads to send shoppers to TikTok Shop or an external product page beyond TikTok. Brands can use advanced targeting based on demographics, interests, video interactions, and other behaviors to uncover audiences most likely to buy from TikTok.

Maximizing Engagement and Conversions with TikTok’s Product Showcase Ads

Shoppers can purchase anywhere from four to 20 products directly from these promotions. This allows brands to present multiple offers in the video to maximize engagement.

These TikTok Ads are best for brands:

Showcasing products that do not 100% need to be sampled via video (ex, apparel, and jewelry).

Interested in deploying highly granular ad targeting Seeking more sales from TikTok Shop or increasing conversions from TikTok

4. TikTok Video Ads (In-Feed Ads)

No surprises here! TikTokers will see these ads as they scroll through their "For You" feed. In-feed ads can be short and sweet, with videos between 9 and 15 seconds seeming to be the “sweet spot” in performance. TikTokers can engage with these ads via likes, comments (sometimes), and shares as they would non-ads. Note that these ads are also skippable.

Leveraging In-Feed Ads for Seamless Sales Funnel Conversion on TikTok

Brands that create TikTok video ads can include captions, images, and a call-to-action button that links to an external landing page. If you aim to funnel sales from TikTok to your website, In-Feed ads can do the trick.

These TikTok ads are best for brands:

Wanting promotions to blend naturally with native content (versus being in-your-face).

Selling a physical product, these ads are perfect for CPG brands, new to TikTok advertising (since this is the most common ad format and the easiest to create)

5. TikTok Collection Ads

Important: Collection Ads are being phased out as a standalone TikTok ad format. Brands can still access them as a category of Video Shopping Ads under the "Product Sales" objective. Collection Ads allow shoppers to engage with a full-screen gallery feed consisting of a collection of products. Brands can choose their highlighted products or let TikTok Ad Manager pull them from their Shop based on relevance.

Speeding Up Product Discovery and Purchase with TikTok Shopping Ads

Beyond interactivity, a notable superpower of these TikTok ads is their speed. These ads deliver a seamless shopping experience with a brief selection of products that are easy to browse via images. Shoppers are taken to the brand's website to complete their purchase.

These TikTok ads are ideal for brands:

Looking to speed up the product discovery process among a new target audience

Eager to provide instant immersion into TikTok shopping

Matching products with specific TikTok customer segments

6. TikTok Carousel Ads

Delivered in-feed, Carousel ads are images that contain up to 35 (!!!) product shots for TikTok shoppers to swipe through at their own pace. These TikTok Ads come in two flavors:

VSA (Video Shopping Ads)

Standard

VSA is ideal for driving sales, while Standard is designed for traffic and awareness goals. The VSA version can feature between 2 and 20 product images, while Standard can show between 2 and 35.

Maximizing Engagement with Versatile TikTok Video Shopping Ads

As you’d imagine, VSA has unique clickable links to the website for each product, while the standard has just one CTA for all—or a swipe left that leads to the landing page. Both always include music plus ad captions and a CTA for all images.

These TikTok ads are ideal for brands:

Looking to promote a variety of products or services

Working to create a more robust customer connection with a diverse, longer-format narrative

Testing TikTok ads to see which products perform the best with different audiences

What Other Types of TikTok Ads Should Brands Know About?

Since its inception, TikTok has experimented with various ad formats. Some formats have undergone significant changes, while others have been sunsetted completely. The TikTok ads discussed above are ideal for brands that work with creators and emphasize shopping and awareness.

These formats are fair game for brands of all shapes and sizes. Some TikTok ad formats resemble traditional commercials and big-budget productions. We'll break down a few of those below!

TopView Ads

These “video-first format” ads are 60 seconds long and appear immediately after someone opens the TikTok app. TopView Ads are unique because they’re full-screen and auto-play with sound. Advertisers can include a call-to-action button within the ad. And these ads are a “must-see” since they take over your entire screen. If you’re looking for seamless ads that feel organic, TopView ads probably aren’t your best bet.

That’s because they can potentially interrupt the user experience. Coupled with their length, TopView is among TikTok's most traditional video ads because it feels like a commercial.

Leveraging TopView Ads for Maximum Impact and Brand Visibility

However, that doesn’t stop them from being effective. 71% of TikTokers say TopView ads grab their attention. The platform also notes that CPG companies experienced 67% higher sales effectiveness when using these TikTok ads. Go figure!

These types of TikTok Ads are ideal for:

Brands that already have existing ad creatives and commercials they want to repurpose.

For companies with big ad budgets, the in-your-face nature of these ads increases the price tag (hint: 7.4 million impressions cost $65,000 per day back in 2020 for TopView ads). Brands with experience with other TikTok ads (or know their engagement on the platform justifies the ad spend).

Brand Takeover Ads

These full-screen ads appear on the FYP immediately after someone opens TikTok. They’re created using 3 to 5-second videos (or 3-second images), directing viewers to a Hashtag Challenge or landing page. Brands can choose either depending on their campaign objective. TikTokers only see one Branded Takeover ad per day. This means less competition for the ad space but also makes them a bit pricey.

These TikTok Ads are ideal for brands:

Interested in building buzz for events or getting a TikTok hashtag trending (like Guess’ #InMyDenim campaign)

Product launches where brands attempt to drive a significant, one-off surge in traffic. Brands with big budgets looking to maximize ad exposure (with less competition)

Branded Hashtag Challenge Ads

These sponsored hashtag challenges are featured on a hashtag results page or the Explore banner. Here’s a snapshot of how these TikTok ads work: A viewer clicks on the branded hashtag challenge at the top of the Discover Page. They’re taken to a Brand Challenge page containing a description of:

The challenge

Rules

The sponsoring brand’s logo

A link to their website

TikTokers then create their own content based on the challenge, using the brand’s hashtag to promote their post. The #PlayWithPringles challenge is an excellent example of how powerful Branded Hashtag Challenge Ads can be.

Harnessing the Power of TikTok Challenges for User Engagement and Brand Awareness

This challenge was launched during the pandemic in the following ways:

Germany

France

Italy

Participants showed creativity through dance, comedy, and TikTok’s music library. To say the campaign was a success would be an understatement. Nearly 350,000 TikTokers contributed to the challenge, earning over one billion views then!

These types of TikTok ads are ideal for:

Brands that want to encourage more user-generated content

Companies with experience promoting hashtag campaigns elsewhere (or brands with established, well-known hashtags)

Brands focused on building awareness and increasing engagement among TikTokers

Branded Effect Ads

Think Snapchat and Instagram! Like with these platforms, branded effects allow brands to create sharable stickers, filters and special effects on TikTok for self-promotion. Brands will often combine this format with other TikTok ads. The benefit? Filters and special effects are often loud and flashy, making them perfect for TikTok’s audience.

Boosting Engagement and Brand Identity with TikTok Branded Effects and Hashtag Challenges

These types of ads are ideal for drumming up engagement and likewise getting more UGC. For example, PUMA created a Branded Effect (along with a hashtag challenge) to promote their Future Flash collection under the #FlashOfFuture tag. This campaign garnered 587.5 million views at the time.

These types of TikTok ads are ideal for:

Brands looking to create an aesthetic or identity on TikTok.

Companies with creative talent on hand, given the legwork and expertise required to create digital effects.

Brands looking to maximize the exposure of an existing TikTok promotion.

E-Commerce Advertising

Ecommerce Sales Strategy

Ecommerce Monitoring

Ecommerce Search Metrics

Competitive Product Analysis

Ecommerce Marketing Budget

Ecommerce Marketing Ideas

20 Best TikTok Ads To Inspire Your Next Campaign

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

Electronics retailer Electron Empire earned 3.3 million views on TikTok with their ad for the Volta Loop. The ad promotes the product’s features and benefits using the ever-popular “POV” format. 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. A TikTok ad example from Electron Empire 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 immediately 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.

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.’ An example of a TikTok ad from Thuma uses the concept of questioning 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 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.

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. eCommerce giant Amazon runs several of these style ads for its fashion products. The short ads feature several quick camera cuts to keep engagement high. an example of one of the best tiktok ads from Amazon Source: TikTok

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.

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 phone case's privacy and convenience features. 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 captures attention and drives significant engagement and conversions, making it a prime example of the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend's effectiveness.

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 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 demonstrate how the service works visually, such as showing the impression kit, the aligners, and the progress over time. This clear visual representation helps demystify the process and highlights the service's ease and convenience.

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.

7. Netflix – #WhatsYourPower

Netflix is on a mission to entertain the world. And what’s more entertaining to Gen Z than following a viral trend of user-generated content? That’s exactly what marketers from Netflix had in mind when they created their #WhatsYourPower campaign to promote their movie Project Power. The #WhatsYourPower campaign encouraged users to use the hashtag with the branded filter telling them their superpower. Users then went ahead and created their original content based on the filter.

This was likely the biggest use of UGC for any brand on TikTok, with 112, 000 people using the filter. Ultimately, it’s worth saying that Netflix is TikTok's second most followed brand. Their interviews with actors, funny sketches, and videos from the latest shows helped them increase the success of the #WhatsYourPower campaign.

8. Marc Jacobs – “Perfect as I am”

Marc Jacobs' creative team came up with an uplifting and positive message, “Perfect as I am,” to promote the release of their latest fragrance to Gen Z and Millenials. Their “Perfect as I am” branded hashtag challenge was released in collaboration with a famous TikTok influencer, Rickey Thompson, and helped them spread the positive message of self-love across the platform.

All TikTok users were encouraged to use this hashtag and show the world how they are perfect exactly as they are. To this day, this has generated over 10 billion views and created massive awareness for the fragrance.

9. Dot’s Pretzels Creative Use of Product demonstration

Dot’s Pretzels' high-performing ad has mastered the art of the opening hook by focusing on the distinctive “Product Features.” An engaging voiceover in their ads immediately draws attention with enticing descriptions like “Signature seasoning and buttery flavour in every twist,” spotlighting the product’s unique appeal right from the start.

Maximizing Engagement with Short, Impactful Product Showcase Videos on TikTok

Key to their success is the use of concise, impactful “Product Showcase” videos lasting between 0 and 15 seconds, which focus on the pretzels’ unique features. Their ads vividly display the pretzels’ tempting flavour and texture, inviting viewers to experience the product virtually.

This method not only showcases the pretzels in action but also stirs up viewers’ appetites Dot’s Pretzels’ strategic TikTok campaign has yielded impressive results, including a remarkable 57,000 likes and a top 40% click-through rate (CTR), supported by a high budget. These figures reflect the campaign’s wide reach and audience engagement and underscore its creative strategy's effectiveness.

10. Bookings.com’s Use of Humor and Star Power

In a masterstroke of marketing genius, Booking.com launched a TikTok campaign featuring Tina Fey setting a new benchmark for engaging and relatable content on the platform. With the caption “Tina Fey books a stay #travel,” the ad skillfully combines humor, star power, and the practicalities of travel planning. Tina Fey, known for her wit and everywoman persona, brings an element of fun and approachability to the campaign, making booking travel seem not just easy but enjoyable.

Leveraging Celebrity Endorsements and Humor to Enhance Brand Messaging in TikTok Ads

This strategic use of a beloved celebrity draws more eyes to the ad and enhances the message that Booking.com caters to all types of travelers with its vast array of options. The ad excellently leverages the “Top Reasons” hook, emphasising worry-free booking and flexible cancellation policies, but with Tina Fey’s charm, these features become not just selling points but engaging stories.

Viewers are shown a variety of travel scenarios through Fey’s relatable humour, demonstrating how Booking.com effortlessly accommodates every traveller’s needs, from last-minute changes to finding the perfect stay.

Creating Engaging and Relatable TikTok Ads: The Power of Narrative and Popularity in Driving High Engagement

This narrative approach, paired with Fey’s popularity, significantly amplifies the ad’s appeal, making the idea of planning a trip with Booking.com not just reassuring but exciting. The campaign’s success is reflected in its impressive analytics:

112K likes

1K comments

797 shares

It indicates high engagement rates and a top 32% CTR, achieved with a significant budget focused on reach and video views.

For brands looking to impact TikTok, Booking.com’s approach offers a valuable template: focus on addressing user needs with authentic, relatable content and clear demonstrations of your service’s value proposition, all within the succinct and engaging format that TikTok users love.

11. My Medic

My medic is a health-based distributor of health kits. The company has been in the industry for over nine years, distributing first aid kits and everything in the wellness and fitness sectors. The company debuted on TikTok intending to boast its lower funnel marketing goals but could have been more successful. After the first unsuccessful encounter with TikTok ads, the company launched its second campaign with the help of the TikTok team, aiming to reach new and younger audiences.

Leveraging TikTok Pixel for Effective Targeting and Attribution in E-commerce Campaigns

To reach its campaign goal, the company followed these important steps:

Pixel integration: the company integrated its TikTok Pixel with Shopify. But what is the TikTok pixel? The tool also helped them segment visitors by creating custom or lookalike audience segments for easy targeting. As a result, the company was able to identify high-value customers who were likely to convert. It’s a high-value attribution tool that helped them track visitor actions like:

Content views
Likes
Complete payments

Implementing value-based optimization: The Company used Value-Based Optimization (VBO), an ad delivery method to deliver ads to high-value customers. Accordingly, the company was able to identify high-value customers. By encouraging customers to purchase through their Shopify catalogue, the company achieved over 17 thousand conversions, an average of 2.5X ROAS, and a 77.5 decrease in CPA.

12. OTTO’s Collection Ads Campaign

OTTO is an international E-Commerce company based in Germany. It started as an email order company in Hamburg and has since expanded exponentially. Today, the company is a leader in retail and financial services.

It develops brand concepts across Europe and the USA. On TikTok, OTTO came to promote brand awareness among new audiences while promoting its Adidas originals new collection.

Maximizing TikTok Campaign Impact with Agency and Creator Partnerships

To achieve its campaign goals, the company employed two approaches: agency and creator partnership and TikTok ads formats.

Agency and creator partnerships: The partners were tasked with creating everyday creative content that would resonate with the targeted audience. The company partnered with oddity jungle and five more TikTok influencers who included:

@helgemark
@ninachuba
@zsazsainci
@jeyisbaee

TikTok ads formats: The company would then promote these creatives on TikTok ads. They mainly used:

Collection Ads
Spark Ads
In-Feed Ads to deliver content to their targeted audience.

The creative generated a buzz on the internet, thanks to the creators’ creativity and other modes, such as the Countdown Sticker interactive add-on that the company used to deliver its message. OTTO achieved a record-breaking over 90 million impressions. The campaign generated more than three hundred thousand likes for its content and an amazing 80% increase in its follower count.

13. About You’s VSA Campaign

Launched in 2014, About You has continually led the space in online retail in Germany and a host of other 26 European. The company specializes in online fashion retailing. It has since 2018 changed into a portfolio of the company due to a change in its shareholdings. About You’s main marketing strategy is personalization and influencer marketing. This makes the company one of the highly data-driven companies and a leader in testing new markets.

Boosting Conversions with TikTok Video Shopping Ads and Brand Partnerships

On TikTok, About You came to drive conversions. The company achieved its goal through brand partnerships and running a series of Video Shopping ads. In particular, the company wanted to run a VSA campaign; to do so, they had to partner with Smartly.io, the only TikTok partner supporting VSA through TikTok’s API.

VSAs are shoppable creative ads running on a user’s For You feeds page. They are ideal for maximizing lower funnel performance. The results were amazing. For example, the company managed a 30% increase in ROAS in Germany. In France, the campaign saw an increase of more than 100% ROAS.

14. Saikebon’s #TakeEatEasyChallenge

Saikebon is a household name in Italian kitchens. The company, a subsidiary of Star, has positioned itself as a leader in innovation in almost all sectors of Italian food. The company came to TikTok to make fun of and engage with prospects to drive brand awareness. To achieve their goal, Saikebon chose hashtag challenges to generate user-based content and create a viral brand moment.

Leveraging TikTok Hashtag Challenges and Creator Partnerships for Viral Campaigns

The brand partnered with top creators and, through the #TakeEatEasyChallenge hashtag challenge, asked their users to share how they make their lives easy with Saikebon. The challenge worked miracles in conveying that Saikebon is a smart provider and solution to quick meals. The brand partnered with leading creators in Italy to bolster their challenge, which breathed new life into their campaign.

The company will then use the creative to run adverts on TopView or In-Feed Ads formats. The campaign attracted wide online virality. It gained over 684 million views, over 220k user-based videos created, and an impressive 11% engagement rate.

15. HYPE’s Customer Acquisition Campaign

Hype is an Italian venture company dealing in financial services. The company was specially founded to offer finance-related services to customers in demand. It offers:

Financial planning

Savings

Payment and investment services

To achieve its objectives, HYPE has invested heavily in digital marketing. In particular, the company is on TikTok for branding, consideration, and, most importantly, customer acquisition. The company has largely achieved its goals by running multiple always-on campaigns on the platform.

Maximizing TikTok's Creative Exchange for Continuous Engagement and Customer Acquisition

Typically, through an always-on strategy, the company is able to continually engage its audience by regularly releasing paid or organic content to users. The company also partnered with Mambo and Cosmic agencies in the TikTok Creative Exchange (TTCX) program.

The company bolstered the TikTok-first A-class creative through these partnerships for their always-on campaign. The result surpassed expectations. The brand managed a:

5% customer acquisition attributed to TikTok.

+10 increase in ad recall

80% reductions in CPA

Crumbl Cookies creates and delivers irresistible cookies across America. As part of its rotating menu, the company releases new flavors weekly and makes them available for a limited period. This concept creates FOMO (fear of missing out) among its followers, which is perfect for TikTok campaigns!

As a part of the two-month-long campaign, the company created a cool and sexy new ad promoting the release of each unique flavor. With great video production and the FOMO effect in their ads, Crumbl achieved astonishing results. Here are some of the results of the campaign:

Reached 22 million accounts

2 million new followers (1,500% increase in follower count)

Turning to TikTok as the main advertising channel for the brand

17. Levi’s – Future Finish

To overcome the sales challenges associated with the outbreak of COVID-19, Levis created a clever and creative, engaging TikTok campaign named “Future Finish,” which blew the minds of its followers. Four TikTok influencers personalized their denim as part of the campaign, and the creators’ videos were posted in-feed ads for one week.

TikTok users had until the end of that week to click on the ads’ “Shop Now” button and buy these unique designs from the video. In their company post, Levi’s reported that watch time for their influencer videos was twice as long as the platform average on TikTok. Product views to Levi.com’s “Future Finish” pages doubled for every product included in those videos.

18. Dunkin’ and Charli D’amelio

In the case of Dunkin’ and Charli D’amelio, we’re not talking about standard ads but more of a clever way of using influencer marketing to introduce a product to a new audience. In this case, Dunkin’ built a strong, lasting partnership with the influencer and used her channel as the window to the younger audience. Charli D’amelio, a TikTok star and a proud Dunkin’ patriot posted over 120 videos with Dunkin’ products.

We can’t say that these videos were anywhere close to being a creative masterpiece, but the whole campaign worked incredibly well for the brand.

There was a 57% increase in downloads of the Dunkin’ app.

The day they released their new drink, cold brews saw an overall sales boost of 20% and a 45% increase the following day.

19. Chewy – Chewy Chatty Pets

An American online retailer of pet food, Chewy, created their Chewy Chatty Pets campaign to connect with the new generation of pet parents authentically. They aimed to drive brand affinity and engagement by encouraging TikTok users to bring their pets’ most entertaining inner monologues to life. Two main factors made this campaign a winner on TikTok:

Branded hashtag challenge #ChewyChattyPets campaign built on the channel trend of sharing quirky

Relatable pet moments pet owners love to personify their pets and then watch others do the same.

Over the three-day campaign, the brand saw a staggering 1.8B+ impressions on its branded #ChewyChattyPets hashtag. Plus, in less than 24 hours, it generated more than 578 user submissions (more than 695 million video views).

20. Vessi – Stop Crying and Put Some Vessi On

Another humorous brand on TikTok is Vessi. This Canadian brand creates water-resistant footwear and is all about having fun on social media. The brand combines organic growth with its hilarious content and often partners with TikTok influencers who use humor in their posts. For one of their latest campaigns, they partnered with Canadian TikToker Kris Collins who created a collection of parody videos for the brand with the “Buy Now” call to action button at the end of the video.

This helped the brand to reach a wider audience while keeping the humorous tone of the ad. For a smaller brand, the Vessi account has remarkable success on TikTok with 164k followers and 1.8 million likes.

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8 TikTok Creative Best Practices for Killer Ads

1. Start With a Hook to Grab Attention

In TikTok advertising, first impressions matter. Many users decide whether to keep watching an ad or to swipe it away based on the very first frame alone. The "hook" is what you use in that first few seconds to grab the viewer's attention and entice them to watch. To nail the hook, try opening your video with action and exciting audio, displaying an enticing headline (e.g., "This app will change your life!" ), or showing an unusual or provocative visual to create intrigue.

Integrate a combination of the above elements:

A person's face

An intriguing headline

A well-framed close-up of your product

You will only see your ad with a thumb-stopping hook, so plan on testing a variety of angles, headlines, and video openers to find out what works best.

2. Sell With Stories for Authenticity

While TikTok videos are performative by nature, it's obvious when the person on camera is acting out a script or phoning it in—how most ads come across. Instead, aim to create an authentic narrative. Stories work because they create a cohesive narrative around your product—one the viewer can imagine themselves stepping into.

They work even better when you have an earnest performance or an honest emotional reaction to your product. Authenticity is what resonates. People buy on TikTok when you tell them a believable story that sells your product's lifestyle benefits in a relevant and relatable context. If you struggle to develop a story about your product, think about the problems it's meant to solve. What steps must your ideal customer take to go from problem to solution? Show those steps in your ad.

3. Keep Your Ads Short, Fast, and Lean

Short attention spans are the name of the game for TikTok ads, and videos on TikTok with the highest clickthrough rates get their message across in the first three seconds and keep their ad length within a 30-second sweet spot.

To increase watch time, consider stitching together multiple one to two-second video "quick cuts" with different camera angles and speeds. Trim unnecessary pauses and lulls as much as possible.

4. Enrich Content Using TikTok's Built-in Tools

Quality TikTok ads have two defining attributes: a believable on-camera performance and sharp, strategic editing. TikTok videos typically include several different effects made with TikTok's native publishing tools. Your ads will blend in more if you do the same. Audiovisual variety is inherently stimulating.

It adds a sense of novelty that keeps people engaged. Integrate as many audiovisual effects into your creative as possible to help make your ads look more native.

Greenscreen

Transition effects

Subtitles

Time warps

Video reversals

Background music

Robot voice narration and so on

5. Emphasize Discounts and Special Offers

If you're offering a deal, feature it prominently in a colorful price bubble and your headline copy. Buyer intent is low on TikTok, but discounts are a reliable tactic to improve conversion rates. If you're offering a TikTok-exclusive promotion, make sure to say so (e.g., include an offer code with a creator's name or the word “TikTok” in it, such as “TIKTOK15”).

6. Choose a CTA That Matches Your Goal

TikTok ads should entertain, inform, and include a call-to-action button (CTA) that tells viewers what to do next. Make sure your CTA matches what you're promoting.

If you're driving traffic to a product page,

“Shop Now” is a good choice.

If you're driving app installs, select "Download" or "Play game"

If you're driving email signups or free trials, choose the "Sign up" CTA.

TikTok offers eight different CTA options. Choose one that aligns with the action you're optimizing for. Even though TikTok recommends advertisers use the "Learn more" CTA, we generally advise against it. "Learn more" is vague and doesn't tell the user what to expect after clicking the ad. Be specific and pick a CTA that best aligns with your advertising goal.

7. Take Big Swings, Then Iterate on What Works

If you're starting with a new ad account, test a high volume of wildly different “big swing” ad creatives to find what resonates with your audience. Once you have some data back, scrap the obvious losers. Focus on the few ad concepts showing the clearest signs of traction. Next, tweak and iterate the selected few to realize their full potential and improve campaign performance.

8. Don’t Ignore the Comments Section

TikTok users are vocal and use the comments section of ads to share their thoughts, leave feedback (good and bad), and ask questions about your product. Make sure to leave the comments setting on since engagement can help propel your ads in the auction, thus increasing exposure to broader audiences. Positive comments are social proof for potential customers. And if you start seeing negative comments, you can always use negative keyword filters to block them.

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