9 CTV Ad Examples to Inspire and Wow You

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Eric Simone
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The surge in Connected TV (CTV) and Over-the-Top (OTT) services opens new avenues for businesses to engage with viewers.

Analyzing successful CTV ad examples can provide valuable strategies for crafting ads that draw in customers and generate leads.

What is CTV (Connected TV) Advertising?

CTV advertising refers to placing digital ads into streamed video content on Connected TV devices (e.g., smart TVs). Advertisers can reach specific audiences with tailored messages based on CTV viewer data and preferences.


šŸ“š Related article: Connected TV (CTV) Advertising: What It Is & How It Works
Discover more about what CTV advertising is and how to take advantage of its growing popularity.


9 CTV (Connected TV) Advertising Examples

Explore 9 Connected TV (CTV) advertising examples that showcase innovative strategies and creative executions.

1. Volvo: Emotional Connection & Clear CTAs

See the full CTV ad example here.

In the “Introducing The Ambience Concept” CTV advertisement, Volvo takes viewers on a journey through the vehicle’s luxurious interior and sleek exterior. The ad highlights the serene ambiance and cutting-edge design that set Volvo apart.

By weaving a narrative that connects emotionally with the audience, Volvo showcases the Ambience Concept’s features and encapsulates the lifestyle it promises.

What Makes It Successful?

Aside from the highly captivating content, the content increases viewer engagement rates by motivating potential customers to explore further by visiting a dealership.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Create Content That Captivates & Connects: Develop ads that showcase your product or service in an engaging and visually appealing way. Weave a narrative that resonates with viewers on a personal level.
  2. Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Incorporate a clear and compelling call-to-action that encourages viewers to take the next step, whether visiting a dealership, exploring your website, or engaging with your brand on social media.

What should brands keep in mind when crafting clickable CTAs?

“A well-defined CTA guides potential customers to a desired action. Use language tailored to where they are in the funnel. In the awareness stage, opt for educational CTAs like “Learn More” to gently draw in your audience. As they move to consideration, switch to more specific actions like “Download Guide,” aligning with their deeper interest. Finally, in the decision stage, direct CTAs like “Start Your Free Trial” cater to their readiness to commit, effectively turning interest into action. Keep in mind, though, that although the tailoring strategy will increase clicks, it isn’t always better for the bottom line, so success depends on the measurements you use to track it. A better measure of success may be tracking visits, conversions, or revenue.”

erik stubenvoll

Managing Director, KORTX

Ā 2. Davidā€™s Bridal: Turn Challenges Into Virtual Opportunities

See the full CTV ad example here.

David’s Bridal adeptly navigated the pandemicā€™s challenges, particularly when numerous weddings were postponed or canceled. By introducing and highlighting their virtual appointment services, the ad reassures potential customers that their dream wedding attire is still within reach despite the unprecedented circumstances.Ā 

What Makes It Successful?

By addressing their audienceā€™s immediate needsā€”couples navigating wedding planning amidst the pandemicā€”Davidā€™s Bridal communicated that dreams do not need to be put on hold despite challenges. Viewers felt comforted and inspired to act, leading to an increase in virtual appointment bookings.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Show Empathy & Adaptability: Craft your CTV ads to address your potential customers’ current challenges. For David’s Bridal, virtual appointments directly responded to the pandemic’s impact on weddings.
  2. Highlight Convenience & Safety: Emphasize how your products offer convenience and safety, reassuring viewers that they can rely on your brand even in difficult times.

3. Buick: Boost Engagement With Interactive CTV Advertising

See the full CTV ad example here.

Buick’s interactive CTV ad captivates viewers by presenting choices in ad contentā€”Interior, Design, or Envyā€”tailoring to individual preferences and boosting engagement. The interactivity heightens viewer involvement and brand perception by offering a more personalized and memorable advertising experience.

What Makes It Successful?

Its interactivity increases viewer interest and investment in the content, potentially leading to higher message retention and more favorable brand sentiments.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Engage Through Interactivity: Consider adding interactive elements to your CTV ads, such as quizzes or choice-driven narratives, to engage Millennials who value participation and personalization in their viewing experiences.
  2. Track Engagement Data: Use the data from these interactions to refine future campaigns, understanding which features attract the most attention. Tailor your messaging to highlight these popular elements.

šŸ“š Related article: Interactive CTV Ads are the Secret to Higher Engagement and Longer Viewing Rates
Learn more about increasing engagement with interactive elements in your CTV ads.


4. CarBravo: Drive Engagement with Humor and Positivity

See the full CTV ad example here.

CarBravo’s commercial “Hair Usedphoria” cleverly taps into the euphoria of buying a used car from their service, depicting exaggerated joyful reactions to emphasize customer satisfaction.Ā 

This humorous angle uses relatable emotions and dramatizes the positive experience CarBravo aims to provide.

What Makes It Successful?

Everyone buys a car at some point in their lives, and through comedy, this ad reassures viewers of a stress-free and delightful purchasing experience. This also increases brand memorability and encourages viewer connection.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Utilize Humor: Apply humor tailored to your audience to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for viewers, which can lead to positive brand associations and recall.
  2. Emphasize Positive Emotions: Highlight your productā€™s emotional benefits, such as joy or satisfaction, to resonate with viewers personally and showcase the positive impact of choosing your brand.


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5. Fiverr: Build Trust with Real Customer Stories

See the full CTV ad example here.

Using a case study approach, Fiverr showcases the transformative impact their services can have on businesses. The narrative focuses on a real success story, providing a tangible and relatable example of growth and evolution facilitated by Fiverrā€™s platform.Ā 

What Makes It Successful?

It builds credibility and trust by showcasing real-world applications and outcomes, motivating potential customers to explore Fiverr’s offerings, and drawing more entrepreneurs to their platform.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Feature Real Success Stories: Incorporate customer testimonials and success stories in your CTV ads to demonstrate the practical value of your service.
  2. Highlight Transformation & Results: Use a narrative that emphasizes the transformative journey and positive results achieved through your offerings, encouraging potential customers to envision similar success for themselves.

6. Meineke: Enhance Engagement with Humor & Strategic Targeting

See the full CTV ad example here.

Meineke’s comedic CTV campaign cleverly juxtaposes the concept of financing with a humorous scenario: a man proposing with a paper ring because he hasn’t paid off a real one. This lighthearted approach spotlights the absurdity of not having financing options, calling attention to Meineke’s financing solutions.Ā 

What Makes It Successful?

Meineke’s comedic CTV campaign was strategically aired during NHL and NFL games, targeting sports fans. This yielded a 63% higher conversion rate for live sports ads and significantly drove foot traffic.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Target Audience Strategically: Align your ad placements with events that draw your desired demographic, like live sports, to increase engagement and conversion rates.
  2. Track and Tout Performance Metrics: Measure your campaignā€™s success in terms of specific KPIs, such as in-store visits, and use this data to inform and optimize future marketing strategies.

How can you align your ad placements with events that draw your desired demographic (e.g. live sports) to increase engagement?

“Through detailed audience research, we can identify the content your target demographic is most engaged with. By combining this with precise interest targeting and aligning ad placements on networks and platforms where your desired content thrives, we can significantly increase engagement.”

erik stubenvoll

Account Strategist KORTX

Ā 7. North Freeway Hyundai: Clarity Wins – Drive Results with Direct Messaging

See the full CTV ad example here.


The North Freeway Hyundai ad presents a selection of vehicles, sales details, and warranty information, delivering its message succinctly.

What Makes It Successful?

North Freeway Hyundai used a straightforward approach, clearly conveying the dealership’s identity, product offerings, pricing, and actionable steps for customers.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Be Direct & Clear: Immediately address who you are, what you offer, and how customers can engage, ensuring viewers receive all necessary information promptly.
  2. Emphasize Value Proposition: Highlight your unique value proposition to demonstrate why your offering is superior, making it a focal point of your CTV ad.

8. Paramount+: Tailor Your Adā€™s Messaging to Your Audience with Nostalgia

See the full CTV ad example here.

Paramount+ā€˜s Super Bowl ad, “Sir Patrick Stewart Throws a Hail Arnold,” features an ensemble of characters, including Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Stewart, and Drew Barrymore, alongside animated figures Arnold and Peppa Pig, humorously combining live-action and animation.Ā 

Trapped on a glacier, the group’s escape plan hinges humorously on using Arnold’s football-shaped head for a throw to safety, leading to a series of comical mishaps.

What Makes It Successful?

The ad strategically targeted Millennials with nostalgic elements. The humor and celebrity star power engage CTVā€™s most popular viewer baseā€“Millennials and Gen Z in order to increase conversion potential.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Incorporate Nostalgia: Use nostalgia by integrating popular culture references from the 1990s and early 2000s, such as iconic TV shows, music, or celebrities, to resonate with Millennials’ memories and emotions.
  2. Understand Your Audience’s Media Consumption: Tailor your CTV ads based on insights into Millennials and Gen Z’s viewing habits, focusing on streaming platforms to align with their predominant media consumption.

šŸ“š Related article: Super Bowl Marketing for <7 Million
Learn how to make a lasting impact with clever marketing strategies, regardless of budget.


Ā 9. Limit Break: Use Interactive Elements to Compel Immediate Action

See the full CTV ad example here.

ā€œScan Nowā€ used a QR code that led to CEO Gabriel Leydon’s Twitter account and offered a “free digital collectible.ā€ The ad invited viewers to interact with their mobile devices in real time by integrating QR codes.

What Makes It Successful?

The ad’s interactivity closed the gap between the viewer’s passive experience and active participation, a hallmark of successful CTV advertising strategies.

How to Use This In Your CTV Ads

  1. Incorporate QR Codes for Interactivity: Enhance your CTV ads with QR codes to connect viewers from their TV screens to digital content.
  2. Optimize for Real-Time Interaction: Design your ads to encourage immediate action, making the viewing experience more dynamic and interactive.

CTV Ad Best Practices

As viewers increasingly turn to streaming platforms for content, marketers have unique opportunities to engage these audiences with targeted, interactive, and compelling advertisements.

Here are the best practices to follow when crafting your CTV ads:

  1. Be Direct. Keep your message clear: With a straightforward call to action (CTA), let viewers know exactly what you want them to do next.
  2. Stay Relevant: Your ad should solve a problem for your audience. Use humor, emotions, or information to connect and show how your brand can help.
  3. Customize Your Message: Change your ads to fit different groups or areas. This makes your ad more personal and practical.
  4. Keep It Consistent: Your ad and website or app should look and feel the same. This consistency helps people recognize your brand.
  5. Let Viewers Decide: People like choosing their path in an ad. Interactive ads that offer choices can make your brand more memorable.

To get the most out of CTV ads, focus on being direct, staying relevant, customizing messages, keeping things consistent, and letting viewers choose their experience.

Crafting the Future of Viewer Engagement

These top CTV ad examples showcase the medium’s creativity and versatility and highlight the importance of aligning your advertising efforts with the needs and habits of your target audience.

Ā Whether leveraging nostalgia, humor, or the latest in digital interactivity, the key to CTV advertising success lies in delivering content that speaks directly to viewers, offering them value, and inviting them to engage with your brand on a deeper level.


Optimize Your Ads with KORTX: The Leader in CTV Advertising

With KORTX, you gain access to comprehensive performance tracking and insights, empowering continuous optimization of your campaigns.

Ready to transform your CTV strategy? Reach out to KORTX today and begin your journey to advertising success!


About the Author

Eric Simone is the lead designer at KORTX. He is a design wizard and a pro at commercial editing, UX, and project management. Eric has made it his mission to deliver eye-catching designs that pack a punch.

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Eric Simone
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