The end of Ugly Ads? What do you have to do if all ads look the same

If you scroll through the meta feed today, you'll see countless creatives that barely differ from each other: selfie videos, text overlays, UGC snippets in portrait mode. At first glance, many things seem “authentic,” but at second glance, it's clear — it's advertising. And often built on the same principle.

This raises a key question:
Do ugly ads — for example these deliberately raw and simple creatives — even work the way they used to?

In the podcast episode, I talk to Flo Litterst from adsventure exactly about this. We look at developments in recent years, why Ugly Ads were once so strong, and what has changed and must change today.

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Why Ugly Ads used to work well

Simple UGC, slideshows, text on — done.

This could be an example formula for ugly ads. They don't look like classic advertising, but like normal content in the feed. That is exactly why they were wiped away less quickly, often had strong click rates — and could be produced quickly and cheaply. For many brands, this was a pragmatic way to build performance, quickly test various hooks and constantly iterate on creatives.

What has changed

UGC used to attract attention in the feed — today it's become the standard.

Whether brand or creator: Many ads now look interchangeable. Same address, same formats, same visual language. There are also tools such as CapCut, Canva or AI generators, which make it easier than ever to produce content quickly.

This leads to a clear problem: The feed is full of creatives that differ only minimally from one another. For users, the content is blurred. And it is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to show their own line — let alone to stay in memory.

The result: What stood out earlier simply sinks today.

Ugly Ads can still work — but not alone

Still: Ugly Ads aren't dead. They can still perform very well today — when used in the right context.

What many teams underestimate today is that more strategic diversity is needed in the ad account. Simple UGC can attract attention, but not automatically build trust or recognition.

For this reason, formats with higher production levels, clear brand presentation and recognition value should also be included. Sometimes it's enough to subtly integrate colors and fonts into UGC to make a difference.

Because in the end, it's not just about the ad being recognized — it must stand out, be convincing and, in the best case, lead to a purchase.

Ugly ads are one concept of many

The important thing is: Ugly Ads are not one solution but one of many creative concepts that can be used sensibly depending on the goal, context and funnel level. And as such, they belong in every well-structured ad account. Not as a sole solution, but as one of several concepts for a product.

That is precisely why it is so important within your own Naming Convention Clearly identify which ad is assigned to which concept. This is the only way to properly evaluate whether, for example, “UGC” or “Brand Story High Production” is currently performing better and in which funnel step which concept has the strongest effect.

If you want to know more about the Naming Convention, feel free to this Read the article.

What that means for your creative strategy

Ugly Ads can still work today, but no longer as a sole solution. If you want to be successful in an ad account, you need diversity: different concepts, clear structures and a sense of when which format works best.

It is no longer just about producing content quickly, but about classifying, testing and developing it in a targeted manner.

That's exactly what DatAds is for.

With DatAds, you can see at a glance which ad concepts are currently performing best. You can see which creatives work on which platforms and further develop your testing in a structured way.

This allows you to continue using Ugly Ads as one of many concepts in your ad account and always keep an eye on how they perform compared to other approaches.

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