Numerous well-made ads appear on Facebook news feeds every day. While many of these ads are effective at driving clicks, engagement and revenue, there are a select few that truly stand out from the crowd.
Which brands are elevating the art of social media advertising with a combination of innovative visual tactics and mind-blowing creative? Check out these groundbreaking examples:
Peloton Cycle
Peloton Cycle aims to do more than sell a cutting-edge exercise bike on Facebook. Live and on-demand spin classes displayed on the bike's built-in screen are what really differentiates Peloton from other stationary bike brands, so the company created a Facebook Carousel ad that immerses the viewer in a complete spinning experience.
Each slide of the ad introduces audiences to a different Peloton instructor with snippets of the class, giving them an idea of what a live ride is really like. Accompanying copy conveys the style of each class, and takes away any uncertainty viewers may have thanks to motivational language and the intructor's in-class inspiration.
Target
Facebook's latest ad unit, Canvas, gives users an interactive browsing experience that is tailor made for ecommerce brands. Below, Target has leveraged the Canvas format to promote its latest clothing and home goods collection. On mobile devices, Canvas ads transport users away from the Facebook news feed into a navigable full-screen layout, making for an immersive and engaging viewing experience. It's appropriate then that Target uses Canvas to invite shoppers to discover a bright and fun world within the ad.
Target gives Facebook users a taste of its summer line with designer Marimekko, leveraging a combination of fun video and splashy still images. Each section of the Canvas ad sticks to a particular color theme and style, which brings order and balance to creative that's otherwise overflowing with busy patterns and multiple hues. By dividing styles up into separate browsing sections, Target can showcase products that go together particularly well and create a sense of atmosphere.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy splits its Facebook Carousel Ad right down the middle in order to promote two services at once. In a clever "Choose Your Own Adventure" format, the ad displays the two paths users can take to create their own website. Whether they choose to build their own, or get help from a professional, the result is the same: a completed, professional-looking website.
This ad manages to tell not one, but two stories - using subtle arrow-like borders to visually drive viewers through each Carousel slide. Not only does GoDaddy neatly present viewers with more than one option to sign up for a website; they do it in an eye-catching, engaging way.
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts literally thinks outside the box in this Facebook Photo Ad. A burrito leaps out from Facebook timelines thanks to an interesting visual trick.
The photo's background mimics the border of the Facebook ad, making it appear as if the hand holding the burrito is actually reaching out from the confines of the ad. This 3-D effect makes for an ad that users can't ignore. In order to maintain attention on the eye-catching visual, note that Dunkin' Donuts keeps the ad copy minimal.