142 Best Facebook Ad Examples (in 2018)

Facebook ad examples are one of the fastest ways to learn about Facebook advertising.

In addition to gaining insight into what your competition’s doing, you’ll also get an overview of the latest design innovations and copywriting hacks used by top brands.

That’s a real treasure chest waiting to be uncovered.

Who knows what you’ll find – Image source

When working on new Facebook advertising campaigns, I’ve made it a habit to always check out what other companies are doing. I’ve also taken screenshots wherever I see an inspiring example of Facebook ads.

If you’re looking to create successful Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns, take a look at these 142 Facebook ad examples from successful brands.

Looking for Instagram ad examples instead? Here are 84 best Instagram ad examples in 2018.

As you work through this article, you will:

Have a better sense of what’s working
Have many new ideas for improving your Facebook ads
Feel inspired to set up new types of ad campaigns

How to use this article:

The first 50 ad examples come with an explanation of what makes them good – so that you can get a better overview of Facebook ad best practices.

While browsing all these examples, analyze:

What makes the ad’s image good?
What copywriting hacks you can learn?
How to apply these best practices to your campaigns?

Ok? Let’s roll!

#1: MOO

MOO’s Facebook ad is ???

What makes this ad so good:

The bright Facebook ad design immediately catches people’s attention + the ad’s headline says clearly what it is they’re selling. When creating Facebook ad images, it’s always a good idea to use an original photo or animation – it’s an easy way to catch people’s attention and show off your branding.

#2: Pipedrive

Use a CTA in the ad image

What makes this ad so good:

The in-image copy makes sure the most important copy gets immediately seen + a CTA button hints people can click on the ad. Pipedrive’s SaaS Facebook ad also makes it easy to understand what product they’re selling – it’s made loud and clear in the ad image, main text, headline, and link description. (Look at it as an interesting use of repetitive yet efficient messaging.)

#3: MindTitan

Use a carousel ad to tell a story

What makes this ad so good:

This ad example uses the carousel format that lets you add up to 10 images into a single ad (the perfect way of showcasing your products / telling a story) + the ad’s design has an eye-catching contrast to it. You can use Facebook carousel ads to tell a story, showcase your products, or list the benefits to customers (as MindTitan’s ad does).

Full disclosure: MindTitan’s one of my clients ATM.

#4: PayPal

Use icons like PayPal

What makes this ad so good:

The icons help to convey the message and make PayPal’s ad a little more engaging, leading to lower Facebook ads cost. A common line between great Facebook ad examples is their masterful use of colour and minimal design.

#5: Canva

Canva’s ad image is simple yet fun

What makes this ad so good:

Canva’s ad is fun and simple at the same time. When you think about your Facebook feed, it’s usually filled with photos. Using a white colourful Facebook ad design helps to get your ad noticed.

#6: Shopify

Share content instead of selling

What makes this ad so good:

Not all Facebook ads are focused on sales. This example by Shopify is using Facebook to share their blog content and increase brand awareness.

#7: Autopilot

Autopilot created a stunning carousel ad

What makes this ad so good:

Autopilot ad is a great example of SaaS marketing done right. The text lists their product’s benefits while the carousel’s images showcase their product views and features. As a result, this Facebook ad informs the viewer about Autopilot’s product even before they visit the website.

#8: Zendesk

100% minimal ad

What makes this ad so good:

The striking minimalism of this ad makes sure people will immediately realize what the product and offer (Try Zendesk Chat) are about. This ad would make for a great remarketing ad for people already familiar with the brand.

#9: Google

use a video inside a carousel ad

What makes this ad so good:

Did you know you can also add videos to your carousel ads? I’ve seen this approach work well for SaaS Facebook ads as it makes an otherwise boring product screenshot come to life.

#10: GoPro

Offer a trade up

What makes this ad so good:

If you’ve recently launched a new product, you could create a Facebook Custom Audience and advertise it to the existing customer base. How to get them to buy your newest product – offer a trade-up like GoPro.

#11: Hootsuite

Make a limited time offer

What makes this ad so good:

Limited-time offers create a sense of FOMO and make people act quicker (= more signups in a smaller timeframe). When advertising limited-time offers, make sure your campaign budget’s big enough to quickly reach all your audience members.

#12: Teabox

Run a countdown campaign

What makes this ad so good:

Teabox’s Facebook video ad tells a story while also informing people about their upcoming sale. Presale countdown Facebook ads are a great way to build up some hype and get people to save the date.

#13: Leadpages

Mention the numbers

What makes this ad so good:

If you’ve got some impressive numbers up on your sleeve, why not share these in your Facebook ad. From the no. of users to the no. of people benefitting from your product, mentioning them helps to create more trust in your brand.

#14: OptinMonster

Use visual cues

What makes this ad so good:

OptinMonster’s Facebook ad example gives a visual clue to the benefit of their product. This ad certainly caught my attention.

Tip: if you’re doubting between multiple image options, you can always do some Facebook A/B testing to find out what works best.

#15: AWeber

Replace a sales message with a survey

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad isn’t trying to sell you anything. However, it’s asking people to take a fun survey and to submit their email to get their results. In the long term, this Facebook ad is bringing in many new email marketing leads – another interesting way of using Facebook ads as a PPC channel.

#16: Taxify

Use custom design elements

What makes this ad so good:

Instead of using stock images or screenshots, you can use design tools like Illustrator and Sketch to create an more visual representation of your product. If you consider how crowded Facebook newsfeed is with photos, using a custom design will help you get higher CTRs. And using speed lines wouldn’t hurt, either.

Full disclosure: Taxify’s one of my clients ATM.

#17: Cobiro

Use the halo of big brands

What makes this ad so good:

Cobiro’s Facebook ad is mentioning two well-known brands and even using Google AdWords’ logo. The reason this works is that people will feel more positive about this small brand as they like the bigger brands mentioned.

However, be careful with using other brands’ logos in your ads – you actually need their permission to do so.

#18: IKEA

Staightforward = efficient

What makes this ad so good:

The next time you need to announce your sales, instead of creating a complex ad image, simply lay your message out on a blank colourful background. IKEA’s Facebook ad is stunning in its simplicity and efficiency.

#19: Lyft

Try offering guarantees

What makes this ad so good: Well-chosen contrasting colours + straightforward in-image text. In addition, Lyft’s ad copy explains their offer more in detail for those interested.

#20: Soylent

Advertise good-looking lists

What makes this ad so good: Soylent’s listing all their product’s benefits in the ad copy. You too can use emojis and symbols to add special characters in your ad copy.
Here are some to get you started: ➕ ➡ ✓

#21: GitHub

The perfect gradient ?

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad example by GitHub is one of my favourite latest finds. Maybe it’s just me, but I find the gradient background perfect.

#22: SUMO

Retarget past users

What makes this ad so good:

This ad looks like it’s part of a Facebook retargeting campaign promoting the the product to people who already tested SUMO’s products. If you’re able to create remarketing audiences of at least 100 people, it’s worth setting up a dedicated ad campaign.

#23: Venngage

Include the year for relevancy

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad is sharing an industry report. But before people can download it, they’re asked to submit their email address. + Mentioning the year of your content helps to show it’s relevant NOW.

#24: Drip

Use images with happy people

What makes this ad so good:

In addition to mentioning the magical word FREE, this Facebook ad example by Drip features a happy-person-photo. All things considered, people will feel more positive about the offer and associate the email course with positive results. A similar approach would also work well in Instagram campaigns.

#25: Asana

Bright colours catch attention

What makes this ad so good:

I’ve always been a huge fan of Asana’s colourful Facebook ads – they catch your attention right then and there. When designing your Facebook ads, put it some extra effort as your ad’s image is arguably its most important element (it’s the first thing people will notice).

#26: Holini

Use a colourful overlay to create branded images

What makes this ad so good:

Did you notice the “? link” in the ad copy? Adding an extra link for people to click on can increase your Facebook ad’s CTR. + Holini’s also smart about their ad design – use a custom colour filter to turn any stock image into a branded image.

#27: Happy Socks

Advertise a discount offer

What makes this ad so good:

Instead of just promoting their product, Happy Socks is adding a small discount to their offer, making it a lot more attractive to potential buyers. A similar ad could also be used as a remarketing ad – if a website visitor didn’t make a purchase on their first visit, you can offer them a discount to incentivize them to return.

#28: Inkbox

Mention what’s important to your users

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad copy delivers only the most important information. However, Inkbox’s ad text shows that they’ve perfectly understood their product’s key benefits for the customers.

#29: Adobe Stock

Include your logo in the ad image

What makes this ad so good:

Another easy way to add a layer of branding on a stock photo is to darken the background image and place your logo over the image. This way, you’ll also increase people’s awareness of your logo.

#30: Cleanly

Show the “good” and “bad

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad reminds people of a common problem and offers a better solution. Using the “bad” and “good” comparison is a simple way to show people why your product’s beneficial to them.

#31: Hired

Write actionable ad copy

What makes this ad so good:

Hired’s Facebook ad example’s copy is actionable and tells exactly what people will get as they click on the ad.

#32: Kissmetrics

A perfectly symmetrical carousel ad

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad example is all about the customer – you. “Get, keep, grow…” and other actionable verbs explain the products’ benefits. + the carousel’s symmetry is just spectacular.

#33: New Scientist

Offer a free/paid trial period

What makes this ad so good:

When selling subscription services, you might want to first offer people a free or discounted trial period. Once they’re happy with what they see, you can upsell.

#34: Bloomberg Business

Example of a mobile app ad on Instagram

What makes this ad so good:

This example is a little bit different from the rest as it’s a Facebook app install ad.

One of the best practices when promoting a mobile app is to include the name of your app in the ad image. Moreover, to make it clear to people it’s an app, advertisers can include the App Store icons in the design.

#35: Amazon

This could work in remarketing

What makes this ad so good: While this Facebook ad has a really strange headline, it could serve well as a remarketing ad for people interested in this particular product or other toys.

#36: Square

Show how your product works

What makes this ad so good:

Here’s another great example of Facebook carousel ad done right. Square is using the carousel’s cards to explain how their product works.

#37: HubSpot

Make your discount offer visible

What makes this ad so good:

The best way to inform people about a discount is to place the -X% sign in the Facebook ad image. Overall, using numbers in your Facebook ads is always a good idea.

#38: Heap

Use plain text as ad image ?

What makes this ad so good:

Heap’s Facebook ad is another good example of namedropping. One way to explain your new product to people is via another product they already know.

#39: Grammarly

Offer something unconventional

What makes this ad so good:

Grammarly’s Facebook ad makes a big promise: “Your Life’s About to Change.” Using this copy in the headline is sure to spark many people’s curiosity.

#40: Google

Make it about YOU

What makes this ad so good:

Google’s Facebook ad is not really about their products. It’s about YOU. When creating ads, think about your customers instead of your product. What’s the unique value you can add to their lives?

#41: Dropbox

Create trust with numbers

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad mentions the size of Dropbox’s user base. If 90k people are already using it, it must be pretty good, right? When you’ve acquired enough customers, you can test a similar approach.

#42: Adidas

Adidas’s ad is simple yet attractive

What makes this ad so good:

Here’s a great example of how to showcase your product in a simple yet creative way.

#43: Inbound.org

Combine B&W and colour

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad example is noteworthy for two reasons: First, how many Facebook ads have you seen that combine black-and-white with bright colours? Second, the ad’s headline addresses directly their core audience – marketers. A more personalized approach is also preferred when creating highly converting ad campaigns.

#44: The Kooples

The perfect remarketing ad

What makes this ad so good:

This is an example of Facebook dynamic product ads. Here’s how it works: you set up your product catalogue on Facebook and once a person views a particular item on your website, they’ll be shown a personalized retargeting ad with the very item. If you’re in eCommerce, this is your thing!

#45: MailChimp

Custom design is a winner

What makes this ad so good:

In addition to being an amazing email marketing tool, MailChimp’s ads also beam with authenticity. Using a custom design for your Facebook ads is always a preferred option (compared to generic stock images).

See how to set up low-budget Facebook ad campaigns without using boring stock images.

#46: Sleeknote

Mention quantifiable benefits

What makes this ad so good:

Sleeknote’s Facebook ad promises quantifiable results, giving a better sense of how much their product can improve your marketing results.

#47: Asos

Asos’ Facebook ad

What makes this ad so good:

If you’re selling multiple products, use a carousel ad to show people all of them. Moreover, Asos’s ad is super simple, making a light and pleasant impression. Even the SALE sign isn’t too intrusive.

#48: Upwork

Upwork focuses on solving the customer’s problems

What makes this ad so good:

This Facebook ad by Upwork is also focusing on solving a problem for the customers. When writing your Facebook ad headlines, try to use an actionable verb such a “Get” “Try” “Discover” to nudge people to take that action.

#49: ZenHub

Gradient is the new black

What makes this ad so good:

Lately, gradient’s made a comeback and is being used across websites, ads, and other branded material. If you haven’t tried a gradient Facebook ad yet, it’s time to do it.

#50: HubSpot

HubSpot asks a question

What makes this ad so good:

One way to get people read the full ad copy is to pose an interesting questions. HubSpot’s Facebook ad image asks “How well do you rank for SEO?” Now which marketers wouldn’t want to find out the answer?