Our Favorite Performance TV Ads of 2023

5 Min Read

Not to sound dramatic, but whether or not your ad resonates with your audience can make or break your entire campaign. (Not dramatic at all, right?) With the right video ad creative, you can ensure you connect with your audience and run a successful Performance TV ad campaign. 

Kristen Navarro, Director of Customer Success at MNTN, recently joined the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to share the best ads launched via MNTN Performance TV in 2023. 

Let’s take a look at three of the highest-performing spots, why we loved them, and how each piece of creative was uniquely designed to drive performance.

Guesty

This Guesty video effectively shows how brands can revamp their B2B marketing strategies with excitement and energy. CTV ads allow brands to break out of their traditional strategies and reach B2B audiences in a new way, all while standing out against the competition. 

What Elements Make This Ad So Great?

A strong opening hook. 

At the beginning of the video, viewers see a list of house rules with familiar logos (especially for folks in the rental property business). But the scene isn’t as calm as the owner would like. There’s smoke coming from the right side of the screen, and the words “Guests will be guests” appear in the middle. 

With this hook, viewers aren’t quite sure what will happen next. But with an informative yet chaotic beginning, a relevant audience is likely to stick around and find out. 

Effective branding. 

As the video opens, the Guesty logo is visible in the bottom left corner of the screen, giving viewers a quick glimpse into the brand. At the end of the video, alongside a clear CTA, the Guesty logo reappears alongside the product name to help familiarize viewers with the brand. 

Background music. 

According to MNTN Research, the right music can drive engagement and solidify brand loyalty. In other words, the soundtrack is everything. 

The stressful visuals of guests in the video are supported by strong and tense instrumentals that create a sense of urgency. Then, the music shifts as the brand begins explaining how its product can help protect rental properties from damage caused by guests. Upbeat music plays through on-screen text, value propositions, and the CTA at the end, leaving viewers with a sense of optimism.

Hismile 

Hismile repurposes their social media content in this fun and engaging television ad. In just 15 seconds, they use this to drive social proof, promote one of their products, and drive brand awareness for relevant households. 

What Elements Make This Ad So Great?

A cross-platform campaign. 

By including video content from their social media campaigns, Hismile is able to engage with viewers in several ways. A holistic, multi-screen approach to digital marketing is critical today as viewers engage with more content on more screens than ever before. 

Since CTV households are more likely to co-view than those who watch linear television, your brand also has a better chance to expand your audience to others in the same house. For example, this ad could remind one viewer about the UGC they saw on social media, causing multiple people in the family to get excited about the same product. 

Brand and product features. 

Product and brand marketing are imperative for all companies, but understanding how to make your message resonate with viewers can be challenging. In this spot, Hismile uses a few elements to help connect with their audience, including social proof. They show several people using the product and multiple visuals of the packaging, and with over a billion people having seen the brand’s videos, new viewers can feel more confident about the company’s reliability. 

A list of purchasing options. 

Today’s customers want convenience and the best deals — especially right around the holiday season. Hismile leans into this and uses the last few seconds of this video ad to give viewers options on where to purchase the products. Plus, this plays further into the social proof element. Even if a consumer hasn’t seen a product before, they might feel more inclined to purchase it from their favorite retailer. 

South College 

South College takes an unconventional approach to educational video marketing with this ad — and, quite frankly, we love it. Though the sounds of a dentist’s office might not be a crowd favorite, South College has repurposed them into a fun musical number. 

What Elements Make This Ad So Great?

A unique concept. 

Many educational ads feel interchangeable: views of the campus, happy students walking along the lawn, some library shelves, maybe some action shots from sporting or extracurricular activities. (You’ve seen them, so you get the picture.) Sure, they’re filled with moments that can resonate with current and potential students — but they’re incredibly similar to what your competition is airing, too. 

South College took this as a challenge to stand out and promote their dental program with a unique concept. They turned the classroom and dental training into a musical number, causing viewers to look twice. This unique concept can also elicit a positive emotional response from potential students, increasing overall interest in the program. 

Consistent branding. 

No matter where you are in the ad, you know which school the video promotes. Even when there’s no dialogue, the school’s website is in the bottom right of the screen. And when the voiceover begins, the school’s name is immediately said. Additionally, the final few seconds of the video showcase the website in the bottom center of the screen with the logo to its right. These elements each work together to ensure South College’s name is top of mind for potential dental students. 

A clear CTA.

While this might sound simple, a clear CTA is a great way to drive your audience to your site. At the end of this video, South College wants viewers to take action and learn more about their program. To make this more effective, they’ve used on-screen text and the URL to tell viewers exactly where to go. 

The Importance of Effective Creative 

We’ve said it before (seriously, just at the beginning of this blog), and we’ll say it again: video content makes all the difference in your marketing campaigns. With the right elements and purpose-built creative, your brand can drive CTV performance in 2024 and beyond. 

To learn more about driving performance with your video marketing strategy (and a bunch of other CTV-related topics), check out our webinars here.