The best social media ads go by in the blink of an eye. Video needs to load instantly on every device, and only fast video will keep people’s attention long enough to make a full pitch.

That’s why social media videos are trending shorter and shorter. As this data from Facebook and Nielson shows, the highest impact is made in the first 10 seconds of viewing.

Many brands have adapted rather quickly to this trend, and your business can, too. Here we’ve gathered 15 top examples of fast video ads on Facebook and Instagram to show you don’t need tons of time (or money!) to make memorable video ads.

1. Albert

“Can I go out tonight?” a text bubble pops up. This 15-second Instagram ad from money managing app Albert instantly grabs your attention, because it looks just like a text notification.

Not only that, but it’s set against a moving background of a barista pouring coffee. The mesmerizing visual, paired with the familiar blue and gray bubbles, makes this ad a perfect mix of blending into the visual landscape of mobile video while also standing out.

2. Brooklyn Decker (Finery)

Virtual stylist app Finery wants to help women choose outfits based on what’s in their closet. To gain traction, their celebrity co-founder, Brooklyn Decker, has stepped into the spotlight. This clever 16-second ad for Finery is posted from Decker’s personal Instagram account.

By using an influencer’s personal account rather than a traditional business account, Finery makes their fast video look more natural in the Instagram feed. People will stop to watch as if it were organic content – and stay because they’re intrigued by the idea of an app helping you get dressed in the morning.

3. Todd Snyder

Bright colors never fail to catch the eye, especially when they quickly change. These fast-moving slideshow ads for Todd Snyder’s collaboration with Champion take simple sportswear and elevate it to new fashionable heights.

The 11-second video ad on Instagram manages to capture a wide range of products while keeping you engaged with a palette of unique tones and shades, from eggplant to rust.

4. Squarespace

In this ad targeted to creative business owners, Squarespace starts off with a colorful visualization of a pie chart with flip-flops. The screen clears to reveal the tagline, “Grow it.” As in grow your brand, your audience, and your website.

The 14-second ad showcases the best of Squarespace Analytics while still pulling off whimsical, stylish Instagram-friendly imagery. This will resonate deeply with any self-starter who has ambitious plans for their business but still wants to enjoy the creative side of managing a site.

5. Enlight Pixaloop

Enlight Pixaloop’s app allows you to add motion to your photos, so what better way to show off the product than with several examples?

The 26-second ad shows the app from the user’s perspective. You watch photos get edited from the user panel, and then you watch the photos come to life with moving backgrounds. This helps prove the value of the app right off the bat and assures you that you don’t have to be a pro editor to make cool animations.

6. Freshly

So far, many of our examples have adopted native forms of content on Instagram. Freshly uses a popular meme format to advertise its meal kits. In the clip, a mouth-watering steak is drizzled with peppercorn sauce. The best part? You can make it at home.

Freshly’s video and accompanying text is a wink to an age-old question for students and young adults: where to get munchies late at night? The ad offers an appealing alternative to fast food or ramen.

7. IAB MFG

Crossfit apparel company IAB MFG’s Instagram ad is one of the longer ones on this list, but it packs enough action to keep you watching. Their video ad puts their product to the test. In a split screen, a model does lunges in IAB’s shorts and in a competitor’s.

The footage ensures the quality of the shorts. For people with an active lifestyle, an active video can be the convincing proof they need.

8. Sun Basket

What’s better than one mouth-watering food image close-up on Instagram? How about five in rapid succession?

Sun Basket pairs its delicious food clips with buzzy phrases like “eat clean” and “paleo,” making the trend-conscious eater pay attention. But it’s the quick editing of this video ad that makes it so watchable. In just 11 seconds, they manage to convince any health nut that there’s a Sun Basket plan that will fit their lifestyle.

9. ThirdLove

A taboo topic can make anyone stop scrolling. ThirdLove opens up a conversation about breast shape in its quick 13-second ads for bras. Plus, a fun fruit metaphor lightens the mood.

ThirdLove’s lighthearted take on sizing is an encouraging ad. The fast, to-the-point video helps people of all shapes and sizes embrace their bodies and find the right bra fit.

10. inkbox

inkbox’s fast video tutorial makes you want to jump in and try a temporary tattoo yourself. The sped-up steps, from sticking on to peeling off, make the process look fun and easy.

With a fast video, inkbox is also able to show several different styles on several different models, making it more likely that viewers will see an image they relate to.

11. thredUP

thredUP’s video is only four-seconds long but it still manages to pack several images into one short clip. The bright backgrounds give the video a flashing effect, making it easy to catch viewers’ eyes.

The ad copy also gets to the point quickly. 10 items, 10 dollars, personalized box – you can tell exactly what’s being advertised right away. Together with the images of clothes, the copy has just enough information to entice interested viewers to click through.

12. BURST Oral Care

If you have a lesser-known product, try putting it to the test. At least, that’s what BURST Oral Care did in this creative, 30-second ad.
The ear of corn is an unusual visual aid that will pique viewer curiosity. The brushing test keeps you hooked with surprise results. BURST proves its effectiveness while keeping you entertained, so it’s a double win for BURST.

13. Betabrand

Betabrand’s sweater ad combines a few persuasion tactics in this fast video slideshow. Crucially, at the start and end, it warns that the sweaters sell out fast.

Between the bookends about buying before it’s too late, quotes from real customer reviews are paired with product photos and model shots. The 30-second ad gives you a good reason to buy now.

14. Richer Poorer

Color contrast can make your product stand out, both in the feed and in the ad itself. Richer Poorer shows off its bralette collection with zoomed-in photos against colorful backgrounds.

The quick slideshow ad proves you don’t have to make things complicated if you have a quality product. The items look pretty and the details stand up to an HD lens, which should be enough for a picky online shopper.

15. Joah Brown

Front, back, arms up, arms down. There’s a lot of movement in Joah Brown’s clothing ad. The fast video slideshow gives the effect of a flipbook of fashionable looks.

The rapid succession of images works together with the copy to offer viewers tons of variety and choice. “Wear what you want, how you want,” it says. When you need a new outfit, it’s always nice to have options.

Say it fast and make it last

You don’t need to sacrifice creativity when making super-short videos for social. As you can see from the variety of videos above, you can experiment with crazy tests, quick tutorials, and even memes. As long as you make your case quickly and persuasively, you can still get the brand recognition and loyalty that comes from your best creative efforts.