27+ Instagram Ad Examples That Actually Convert in 2025

Struggling to create Instagram ads that actually perform? With 90% of users following at least one brand and video posts driving 49% more engagement, basic visuals no longer cut it.

Add Reels, Stories, and mobile-first shopping to the mix, and it’s clear you need more than just good design.

This post features 27+ instagram ad examples that convert in 2025. See what successful brands are doing right and use their strategies to improve your own results.

What’s new in Instagram advertising in 2025

Instagram ads in 2025 look nothing like they did just a couple years ago. The platform has fully evolved into a mobile-first, vertical-video-driven space where traditional ad styles struggle to keep up.

Reels-first ad formats are now the standard. Since 50% of user time is spent watching Reels [2], it’s the most valuable placement for attention, engagement, and conversion.

Vertical video isn’t optional. With 99% of users accessing Instagram on mobile, full-screen, 9:16 creative is the new baseline.

Instagram now uses Advantage+ AI targeting, which automates creative placements, optimizes delivery, and expands audience reach based on past behavior.

Co-branded creator ads are booming. Meta’s latest tools allow businesses to partner with influencers for native-looking paid ads. These outperform brand-only ads in both CTR and engagement.

Shoppable posts are driving more conversions. 30% of purchases on Instagram come directly through these posts, boosted by native checkout options.

Interactive CTAs like "Tap to Message" and "Tap to View" make conversion frictionless. You can now direct traffic to product pages, chats, or multiple landing pages within one ad.

If you're still thinking in 2022 formats, you're behind.

Types of Instagram ads in 2025 (with examples)

Now that you know what’s changed, let’s talk about formats. Instagram offers several ad types, and each has strengths depending on your creative assets and campaign goals. Here’s a quick breakdown of the top formats in 2025.

Reels ads (core format in 2025)

Reels ads are full-screen vertical videos shown between organic Reels. They run on autoplay and often blend into regular content.

Use trending audio and jump-cut transitions. That’s how Summer Salt grabs attention with their colorful, upbeat swimwear Reels.

UGC-style Reels from Imperfect Foods show real customers unpacking boxes, overlaid with motion graphics. These feel native and perform well because they don't feel like ads.

Feed photo ads

Classic photo ads are still relevant, especially for static promos.

Domino’s nails this with a cheesy, close-up pizza image that blends into your feed like an organic post. No flashy CTA. Just pizza and a late-night craving.

Beauty Bay also nails this with bold color palettes and clean product photography. Simplicity works.

Carousel ads

Great for storytelling or showing product variety.

Netflix used a carousel for "13 Reasons Why" with character shots and quote overlays. It doesn’t scream promo, but it pulls people in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoRPEahr0e0

Blue Apron shows off its full menu variety in a single swipeable ad, making it easy to compare options before clicking.

Story ads

Stories are vertical videos or images that last 15 seconds. They support polls, stickers, and tap-to-view CTAs.

Gymshark used a Black Friday blackout theme. High-contrast visuals with simple words: "BLACKOUT." It converted 40% of purchases during their campaign.

Yoga International used an interactive poll and saw 18% of total sign-ups come from it. Engagement drives action.

Explore ads

These show up after a user clicks on a post in the Explore tab. They're ideal for discovery.

Kenzo’s elegant floral perfume ads use slowed-down video and bright thumbnails. It blends beauty with curiosity.

Collection & shop ads

Shoppable ads allow users to browse and buy without leaving Instagram.

Klairs, a beauty brand, used creator content boosted as Branded Content Ads. This drove a 1.8x lift in ROAS.

Collab ads (new in 2025)

These are brand + creator partnerships that run as co-published ads.

BYLT's jogger ad featuring Daries Lindsay is a perfect example. It doesn’t feel like an ad because it lives on the influencer’s account. Performance is stronger because it feels native.

Instagram ad examples by industry (updated for 2025)

Different industries thrive with different approaches. Here's how fashion, wellness, tech, beauty, and home brands are adapting their Instagram ad strategies in 2025.

Fashion & apparel

Reels are huge here. Summer Salt’s dance-themed swimwear video shows energy, comfort, and design all in under 10 seconds.

Vuori uses Reels to highlight how often their joggers sell out. They back it with 13,500+ reviews—social proof sells.

Brooklinen's boomerang of someone jumping into bed (#bedgoals) is relatable and oddly satisfying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB-ik-gswJk

Health & wellness

Felix Health keeps it minimal: a plain white tube on a salmon background. Bold and clean works in this space.

Haagen-Dazs' animated bumblebee ad for Free Cone Day ties in environmental storytelling while promoting product.

Imperfect Foods leans on UGC + motion overlays to show real boxes and people—authenticity builds trust.

SaaS, tech & education

Adobe keeps it simple. A screen share demo showing one product feature with chill lo-fi music. No fluff.

Chargebee targets SaaS brands in its Stories ad with bold text and bullet-point benefits. Fast, clear, relevant.

Clearbit’s carousel walks you through the "what," "how," and "why" of its product, building a micro-funnel in one ad.

Beauty & skincare

Glossier does it best. Sparkling product closeups that look like makeup tutorials from influencers.

Kiehl’s uses avocado imagery and soft lighting to pitch its eye cream. It looks more like a Pinterest board than an ad.

Klairs boosts creator content that lets customers shop directly from their feed. No extra steps = more conversions.

Home goods & lifestyle

Brooklinen again stands out with their soft, human-focused visuals. No product pitch—just comfort.

Moo uses a carousel to show off its premium notebooks. Different colors, simple style, clean photos.

Mrs. Meyer’s shows spilled cookies with the caption “Perfect is Boring.” Relatable and fun, especially for parents.

What makes these Instagram ads work (2025 strategy breakdown)

Great ads share a common blueprint. Below you will find the core pillars, why they matter, and exactly how to apply each one. Every tactic is proven by the examples listed earlier and backed by the numbers in the source ad.

1. Thumb‑stop visuals

Your first job is to freeze the scroll. Aim for movement in the first half‑second, bright color contrast, or a clear human face. Reels that open on a static frame often lose 30 percent of viewers before the one‑second mark. Use jump cuts, quick zooms, or subtle text motion to earn that extra second of attention.

2. Trend alignment

Instagram rewards content that mirrors current user behavior. Pairing Reels with audio that is gaining traction can lift watch time by fifteen percent or more. Check the Reels music tab daily and save tracks that show a rising arrow. Edit your creative around that beat within twenty‑four hours for maximum lift.

3. Social proof

Numbers and voices from real buyers remove risk. Vuori highlights 13,500 reviews. Sidio shows exact sales gains in captions. Add review screenshots, star ratings, or press quotes inside the first three seconds. Engagement rates climb when proof is baked into the creative rather than hidden in the caption.

4. Emotion plus aspiration

People buy the future version of themselves. Brooklinen sells a calm morning in a perfect bed. Donate Life America sells the chance to save a life. Identify the core feeling your product unlocks, then film scenes that picture the outcome, not the item itself.

5. AI‑driven angle testing

Manual targeting fades as Advantage Plus expands reach. Feed the algorithm five to ten creative angles at launch. These can be as small as different hooks or as broad as different storylines. Pause the bottom fifty percent after forty‑eight hours. Funnel the saved budget into the top two for scale.

6. Strong, simple calls to action

Every ad should close with a single, unmissable next step. Gymshark uses “Shop Now.” Hashtag Expert uses “Install Now.” Keep it above the fold on Feed and inside the last two seconds on Reels. Clarity beats cleverness every time.

7. Smart captions and on‑screen text

Instagram truncates feed text at 125 characters. Lead with the hook, state the benefit, end with the CTA. Keep on‑screen text readable at six‑second view speed and meet ADA guidelines by using a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1.

Instagram ad copywriting tips (with 2025 examples)

Copy turns attention into action. Use these techniques to raise click‑through and lower cost per result.

Lead with a question or bold stat Questions pull agreement. WP Engine asks, “Looking to start a new WordPress site?” That nod primes the click.

Keep captions snack‑size on Reels and Stories Viewers tap sound off by default. Summer Salt’s five‑word caption still lands because the video already tells the story.

Use clear structure Hook. Benefit. CTA. Hashtag Expert spells it out in one short sentence. No extra fluff, no wasted space.

Incorporate power words Try proven terms like free, save, you, easy, and now. Each pushes urgency without sounding pushy.

Mirror audience language Scan reviews for exact phrases buyers use. Drop one of those phrases into your headline to signal relevance instantly.

2025 CTA trends that work Tap to message for quick consultations, try it free for SaaS, and save this post for educational reels all convert well because they match the intent of the viewer.

Top Instagram ad mistakes to avoid in 2025

Learning from failures saves ad spend faster than any new hack.

• Over‑polished visuals Studio lighting and heavy edits cue viewers that a sales pitch is coming. Lean into the native, camera‑phone look unless you sell luxury fashion.
• Ignoring vertical framing Posting 1:1 in Reels places black bars top and bottom and cuts remarketing reach. Always shoot or crop to 9:16.
• Skipping creator partnerships Meta’s own data shows creator collab ads earn up to three times higher click‑through. If the budget is tight, start with nano‑creators under fifty thousand followers.
• Multiple CTAs Asking viewers to shop, share, and comment in one frame reduces action on all three. Pick one goal per ad set and design every element toward that goal.
• Leaving AI off Advantage Plus finds unexpected pockets of high‑value users. Turning it off forces you to guess and inflates cost per result.

How to measure Instagram ad performance in 2025

Great strategy lives and dies by numbers. Focus on four main metrics.

• Thumb‑stop rate Divide three‑second views by impressions. Reels over twenty‑five percent are worth scaling. Anything under fifteen needs a stronger first frame.
• Engaged view Track views past fifteen seconds on Reels. High engaged view signals the story lands. Low numbers point to weak pacing.
• Retention Measure the percent of video watched. Aim for at least fifty percent on a fifteen‑second Story. Drop‑offs reveal where viewers lose interest.
• Messaging click‑through rate For tap to message placements, two percent is a solid baseline. If you sit below one percent, tighten copy and move the CTA earlier.
• Tool stack Use Instagram Ad Manager’s placement breakdown to spot winners. Pair with GA4 and labeled UTMs to prove revenue beyond the click.

FAQs

Final thoughts

The best-performing Instagram ads in 2025 are fast, vertical, and built for how people actually use the app. The instagram ad examples in this guide break down what works by format and industry so you can skip the guesswork and focus on what converts.

If you’re ready to create high-quality ads without a designer, Cropink can help. It’s built for marketers who want to turn product catalogs into scroll-stopping creatives—perfect for Meta, TikTok, and more. Try it for free!

Sources

1. Cropink. 50+ Instagram Marketing Statistics: Is Your Brand Ready for These?
2. WordStream. 13 of the Best Instagram Ads We’ve Ever Seen
3. Superside. 12 successful Instagram ad examples to inspire
4. Tribe. 10 Examples of Instagram Ads Every Brand Should See
5. KlientBoost. 56 Scroll-Stopping Instagram Ad Examples