“Ugly Ads” - Not perfect ads for good results

Have you ever been so engrossed in TikTok that you accidentally watched an ad? As a rule, we all have the habit of immediately clicking away or ignoring ads. No marketer likes to hear, but that's the harsh reality. Relevance and entertainment play a big factor. But today we don't want to focus on the usual factors for relevant and entertaining advertising, but on “ugly ads.”

What are “ugly ads”?

Ugly ads are advertisements that are not perfect. Of course, perfect is always in the eye of the beholder. For example, Ugly Ads images and videos may not be in ideal light or resolution. Voice overs with a slight noise in the background, shaky images or simply an imperfectly staged product or service.

The exact implementation may vary depending on the platform. While the simplest videos can already be used as ads on TikTok, an “ugly ad” on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram can also be a meme. The goal is not to create an “ugly” ad, but rather to create an ad that fits seamlessly into the content consumed, receives attention and is ideally not even perceived as advertising.

Why are “ugly ads” relevant?

Every performance marketer is familiar with the discussion with either their customer or creative designer. “That doesn't fit the CI” or “We have to record the video again. The light is not optimal.” Especially since TikTok, “real content” or “real ads” is becoming increasingly important. No one likes to watch ads. Excluding marketers who want to be inspired.

With the increasing consumption of TikToks, Reels and Shorts (low-quality content), perfectly shot videos or images stand out directly as advertising - making them more likely to be skipped over.

What are the benefits?

1. New perspective:
   “Ugly ads” or imperfect content give potential customers the feeling of what the advertised product really looks like in “real”. As a result, the barrier to buying can be reduced, as customers can better imagine the product.

2. Low budget:
   There is no need to spend an extra budget to produce “Ugly Ads”. Every marketer, regardless of whether it's an ad budget of €50 or €50,000, can start using Ugly Ads at any time
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3. Speed:
   Thanks to simple production, you can react quickly to trends and thus take certain trend waves with you. This can have many benefits
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4. Differentiate yourself from the competition:
   With new or different content, you can also set yourself apart from the competition and show the customer why you are the better choice.

How to implement “Ugly Ads”

It is important to say in advance that “Ugly Ads” not means that no hook, story and product placement is implemented in the ad. Rather, it's about the core message that not every ad in the studio has to be shot with a high-end camera. I also DON'T want to say that it doesn't matter what your ads say about you as a brand. A deep understanding of your Target group and the right communication with them remains crucial.

This article aims to encourage much more that content that may not perfect The corporate identity corresponds to or was not created in the studio, often sees the light of day. “Ugly Ads” can be a great lever, especially for performance-oriented brands. We're not just talking about UGC here, a simple imperfect product image can also work wonders.

1. Select your target platform (e.g. TikTok)
2. Consume content that is currently popular and try to recognize patterns (e.g. answers to question tickers)
3. Brainstorm ideas on how to naturally place your product in organic formats
4. Create a few creatives and test them out

There is no perfect way to implement “ugly ads” in your company. Rather, it is about the awareness of using imperfect content as an advertisement and, if necessary, producing such content in a targeted manner. This not only sets you apart from the competition, but also creates content that naturally fits into the content you otherwise consume. Find out how you can test Ugly Ads in your ad account here.

The biggest goal of “Ugly Ads” is to get the user's attention. This can happen in many ways. Of course, it is important to measure whether the desired KPIs are also achieved through attention. Therefore, don't neglect a clean tracking of your creative tests.

If you want to learn more about “Ugly Ads,” feel free to drop by Barry Hott. He is a great advocate of the issue.

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