UGC ads are paid social ads that look like a customer or creator made them, not the brand: someone on their phone talking to camera, unboxing a delivery, or testing a product in their kitchen. You've seen them on Meta, TikTok and Instagram as reviews, "I tried this" videos and reply-to-comment clips. So what are UGC ads in practice? Real people, phone footage, first person.
Brands use them because people trust a person more than a logo, and because they're cheap to make in volume. This post defines the format, separates it from influencer and polished brand ads, shows 10 UGC ads brands have kept running for 400 to 976 days, and gives you a script you can shoot this week.
What is a UGC ad?
UGC stands for user-generated content: anything customers or creators make about a product, from a review to a TikTok haul. A UGC ad takes that style into paid media. The brand either licenses a video a real customer posted, or pays a creator to make one that looks the same, then runs it from its own ad account.
That's also the short answer to "what is UGC in digital marketing": organic UGC is what customers post for free, and UGC ads are the paid version you control, target and test.
What's on screen in a typical UGC ad:
- One person, filmed on a phone. Vertical 9:16, natural light, a real room, a car or the street.
- First person, direct to camera or hands-on. "I bought this...", "Okay, let's see if it works", "They are here."
- Burned-in captions. Plenty of people scroll with the sound off, so the words are on screen.
- A product doing something. Being applied, unboxed, used or compared, not sitting on a white background.
- Short. In the examples below, the talking runs from about 18 to 63 seconds.
Adspo tags these under five visual formats, which is how the examples below were found: Customer Testimonial (a buyer's experience), Yapper (fast, casual talking to camera), Demo (the product in use), Unboxing (opening the delivery) and POV (filmed from the viewer's eyes). For a closer look at the talking-head style, see what a yapper ad is. If you want a plain photo carried by a long story caption instead of a person on camera, that's a native ad. And for ads built around a customer's own story, see these 10 testimonial ad examples.
UGC ads vs influencer ads vs polished brand ads
The three get mixed up because the same person can appear in all of them. The difference is who owns the content and what it's trying to look like.
| UGC ad | Influencer ad | Polished brand ad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | A customer or paid creator | An influencer | The brand or its agency |
| Whose account runs it | The brand's ad account | Usually the influencer's (or a partnership ad) | The brand's ad account |
| What you pay for | The video | Access to their audience | Production |
| Look | Phone-shot, first person, captions | Their usual content style | Studio, music-led, brand voice |
| Does follower count matter? | No | Yes | No |
A UGC creator with 400 followers can make a better UGC ad than an influencer with 400,000, because the brand is buying a believable video, not reach. And a staff member can make one too: example 8 below is a store employee filming on the shop floor, and it's the second most-served creative in that brand's account.
Why brands use UGC ads
People believe people. A customer saying "I can't believe it, I can see it coming off" lands differently from a brand saying its product works. The format borrows the trust of a recommendation.
They look like the feed. A phone video of someone talking reads as content, not an interruption, so it earns the first few seconds that a studio ad often loses.
They're cheap to make in volume. One product can carry ten creators, ten hooks and ten settings for the cost of one shoot. That matters because Meta now does most of the targeting, and the ad itself decides who stops. More on that in what creative strategy is.
Brands keep them running. The 10 examples below have run for 400 to 976 days and are all still active as of October 12, 2026. The oldest, from Breeze Balm, started in February 2024. Long runtimes don't prove an ad is profitable, but brands rarely pay to keep ads live for two years if they aren't working.
10 UGC ad examples from real brands
How these were picked: we filtered Adspo's Discover feed to the Customer Testimonial, Yapper, Demo, Unboxing and POV formats, sorted by longest running, kept only active ads, watched each one and kept the ones that are clearly UGC in style. One ad per brand, 10 brands across beauty, home, oral care, books, food, footwear, wellness, outdoor gear, apps and personal care. Data pulled from Adspo on October 12, 2026. Impression rank is the ad's position among that brand's own creatives, where #1 is the most served.
1. Breeze Balm: a "just watch this" BB cream demo
A creator in her kitchen applies the BB cream on camera and reacts as her skin evens out. Part testimonial, part live demo.
Ad data:
- Running for: 976 days (since Feb 2024), still active
- Impression rank: #12 of Breeze Balm's creatives
- Format: Video: demo, customer testimonial
The hook: "This is the Pomegranate Daily Glow BB Cream."
What makes it a good UGC ad: The proof happens on camera. She keeps saying "watch this" and then shows it, so the viewer is judging the result, not trusting a claim.
Steal this: Film the before and the after in one continuous take, and let the creator react out loud.
2. Bonny: the "my little secret" bedroom testimonial
A creator walks through how she gets her bed looking cozy, with the quilt on screen the whole time and a tip only an owner would know.
Ad data:
- Running for: 857 days (since Jun 2024), still active
- Impression rank: #13 of Bonny's creatives
- Format: Video: demo, customer testimonial
The hook: "I am always getting asked questions about how I get my bed looking extra cozy and comfy and I'm going to tell you my little secret."
What makes it a good UGC ad: It's framed as advice, not a pitch. The insider tip (she buys one size larger than her bed) makes her sound like a real owner, and the product becomes the answer to a question people already ask.
Steal this: Open with "I always get asked..." and answer with a tip that includes your product.
3. TopSmile: "let's see if it works"
A customer unpacks an ultrasonic plaque remover and tests it on camera for the first time, with captions over the close-ups.
Ad data:
- Running for: 813 days (since Jul 2024), still active
- Impression rank: #32 of TopSmile's creatives
- Format: Video: demo, customer testimonial
The hook: "So I bought this plaque remover from Top Smile. Let's see if it works."
What makes it a good UGC ad: The skeptical setup turns the ad into a test the viewer wants to see finished. "I bought this" also tells you it's a customer, not the brand, in four words.
Steal this: Start with doubt ("let's see if it works") and make the payoff visual. More oral care ads are in the oral care ad library.
4. Whispering Pages: a reply-to-comment POV demo
Shot from the viewer's eyes, a hand embosses a book page while a TikTok-style comment sticker sits on screen.
Ad data:
- Running for: 760 days (since Sep 2024), still active
- Impression rank: #75 of Whispering Pages's creatives
- Format: Video: POV, demo
The hook: On-screen comment: "Christmas is coming and I need this book gadget."
What makes it a good UGC ad: The comment sticker borrows the look of a creator answering a follower, which is pure organic content. There's no voiceover at all; the hands and the result do the selling.
Steal this: Answer a real comment on video. It gives you a native-looking hook and an excuse to demo.
5. NIKU Farms: the "why is nobody talking about this" unboxing
A creator opens her meat delivery box at the kitchen table and talks through what's inside and how the subscription works.
Ad data:
- Running for: 753 days (since Sep 2024), still active
- Impression rank: #1 of NIKU Farms's creatives
- Format: Video: unboxing, customer testimonial
The hook: "Why is nobody talking about the fact that you can literally get humanely raised meats from local farms in British Columbia delivered directly to your door?"
What makes it a good UGC ad: The unboxing shows the product and the delivery experience at once, and the hook names the audience (people in British Columbia) in the first sentence. It's the most-served creative in NIKU Farms's account.
Steal this: Use "why is nobody talking about..." to frame your product as a find, then open the box on camera.
6. Zorali: "They are here"
A pair of hiking sandals arrives, and the creator walks through every detail with her hands on the product.
Ad data:
- Running for: 728 days (since Oct 2024), still active
- Impression rank: #9 of Zorali's creatives
- Format: Video: demo, unboxing
The hook: "They are here."
What makes it a good UGC ad: Three words and an open box. Excitement about a delivery is a feeling everyone knows, and the close-ups of straps, sole and heel answer the questions a buyer would ask in a store.
Steal this: Keep the hook under five words and let the unboxing carry the first 3 seconds. See more in the footwear ad library.
7. Shakti Mat: an explainer yapper
Over close-ups of the mat's spikes, a voice explains what acupressure is and where the bed of nails came from, with bold captions.
Ad data:
- Running for: 452 days (since Jul 2025), still active
- Impression rank: #286 of Shakti Mat's creatives
- Format: Video: yapper, explainer
The hook: "What is acupressure?"
What makes it a good UGC ad: It teaches instead of sells. A casual voice answering a question feels like a creator's explainer video, and the product shows up as the modern version of the thing being explained.
Steal this: Open with the question your buyers search for, then answer it in plain words over product close-ups.
8. KUIU: a store employee as the creator
A KUIU staff member holds up the Attack Pant on the shop floor and talks through it in a short, single-location clip.
Ad data:
- Running for: 423 days (since Aug 2025), still active
- Impression rank: #2 of KUIU's creatives
- Format: Video: yapper
The hook: "If you're looking for the most versatile pant..."
What makes it a good UGC ad: It's employee-generated, but it has everything that makes UGC work: a real person, a phone camera, one location and no polish. It's also the second most-served creative in KUIU's account.
Steal this: If you can't get customers on camera yet, film your own team. Keep it to one product and under 20 seconds.
9. Whatnot: the car yapper
A creator sitting in her car tells thrifting fans about a vintage bowl she got through the app and what it would cost in an antique shop.
Ad data:
- Running for: 417 days (since Aug 2025), still active
- Impression rank: #1,290 of Whatnot's creatives
- Format: Video: yapper, customer testimonial
The hook: "If you are a thrifting or antique, a vintage lover, if you're into all those things..."
What makes it a good UGC ad: The hook calls out a niche by name, and the story has a specific number in it (a bowl she paid $14 for). It's a classic yapper: run-on, casual, filmed in a car, with a text headline doing the job of a thumbnail.
Steal this: Call out the niche in the first line, then give one specific win with a real price.
10. Toxin Dodger: "Whose idea was this?"
A creator outdoors holds up a plastic toothbrush, questions why we use it, and swaps it for a bamboo and boar bristle one.
Ad data:
- Running for: 400 days (since Sep 2025), still active
- Impression rank: #1 of Toxin Dodger.'s creatives
- Format: Video: yapper, customer testimonial
The hook: "Whose idea was this?"
What makes it a good UGC ad: A question that sounds like an opinion, not an ad. The creator talks like someone who just changed a habit, and the old product versus the new one gives the video a simple before and after.
Steal this: Hold up the thing your product replaces and ask why anyone still uses it.
How to make a UGC ad: step by step
Step 1: Pick the format before the creator
Decide whether this ad is a testimonial, a demo, an unboxing, a yapper or a POV clip. Each needs a different setup. A demo needs the product to show a visible result; an unboxing needs packaging worth opening; a yapper needs a person who's easy to listen to.
Step 2: Find the right person
Look for someone your buyer would believe: a real customer, a UGC creator who fits the audience, or someone on your team (like KUIU). Follower count doesn't matter. Ask for a 15-second test clip before you book them.
Step 3: Write the hook, not the whole script
Give the creator 3 to 5 hook options and the key points to hit, then let them say it in their own words. Word-for-word scripts are the fastest way to make UGC sound like an ad. Pull hook ideas from customer reviews and comments, and see 50 Facebook ad examples for more openers that have lasted.
Step 4: Film it like content
Vertical, on a phone, in a real place: a kitchen, a car, a bedroom, the street. Natural light from a window. Hold the product close to the lens when it matters. Film a few takes of the hook alone so you can test them separately.
Step 5: Edit for the sound-off viewer
Burn in captions, cut dead air, and put a short text headline on the first frame (Whatnot's "Where to get good thrifted vintage items!" is a good model). Cut it as short as the story allows; the examples above run from about 18 to 63 seconds of talking.
Step 6: Test hooks, then scale what lasts
Run the same body with different hooks and let the data pick. Keep the winners running and make new versions with new creators. The examples above show brands keeping one good UGC ad live for one to two and a half years.
UGC ad script template
Copy this, fill in the brackets and hand it to your creator as talking points, not a word-for-word script.
UGC AD SCRIPT
30 to 45s, vertical, phone-shot
0-3s HOOK (film all three)
A) "I always get asked how
I [result]. Here's my
secret."
B) "So I bought this
[product]. Let's see
if it works."
C) "Why is nobody talking
about [surprising fact]?"
Text: [5 to 7 word headline]
3-10s PROBLEM
"I used to [old way]..."
Show: the problem, close up
10-25s PRODUCT IN ACTION
Unbox, use or apply it.
Name 2 to 3 details only
an owner would notice.
Show: hands on product,
the result in one take
25-35s PROOF
"[Specific result or number]"
Show: the after, a reaction
or a review on screen
35-45s CALL TO ACTION
"If you [problem], [next step]."
Text: [offer or product name]
Notes: captions on, natural
light, one person, real room.
Common mistakes
- Over-scripting. If the creator is reading, viewers can tell. Give talking points and let them ramble a little; that's the format.
- Slow starts. "Hey guys, so today I want to talk about..." loses people. Every example above opens with the point, a question or the product in hand.
- Too polished. Studio lighting, a branded set and a lav mic make UGC look like a commercial again. A phone in a kitchen is the point.
- No proof on screen. "It works so well" means nothing. Show the result, like Breeze Balm's application or TopSmile's test.
- Claims a customer can't make. Health, medical and income claims still need to follow Meta's ad policies, even when a customer says them.
- One video, no variations. A single UGC ad with one hook is a coin flip. Film several hooks and test them.
Find UGC ad examples with Adspo
The Meta Ad Library shows any brand's ads, but it can't filter by format, so finding UGC means scrolling brand by brand (here's how to use the Facebook Ad Library if you want to try).
Adspo's Discover feed filtered to the Customer Testimonial format and active ads, sorted by longest running, with runtime badges of 976, 974, 973, 963 and 941 days
In the Adspo Discover feed you can add a Visual format filter, pick Customer Testimonial, Yapper, Demo, Unboxing or POV, and sort by longest running to see the UGC ads brands have kept paying for, across 10,000+ verified brands. Each creative shows its runtime, its impression rank within the brand's own account, the hook and the transcript, so you can study the script, not just the thumbnail. Save the ones you like to a board and hand it to your creators as a brief. For beauty examples, start with the skincare ad library.
Adspo Pro is $29 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly, with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
What are UGC ads?
UGC ads are paid social ads that look like they were made by a customer or creator instead of the brand: a person filming on their phone, talking to camera, unboxing, demoing or reviewing a product. The brand pays to run them, and often pays a creator to make them, but they keep the look of an ordinary post.
What is UGC in digital marketing?
UGC stands for user-generated content: photos, videos, reviews and posts made by customers or creators rather than the brand. In digital marketing it shows up in two ways. Organic UGC is what customers post on their own. UGC ads are paid placements that use that content, or content made to look like it, in a brand's ad account.
What does UGC ads mean?
UGC ads means ads built from user-generated content. In practice the term now covers both real customer videos and paid creator content made in the same phone-shot, first-person style. What makes it UGC is the look and the voice: a real person, a phone camera and a first-person story.
How long should a UGC ad be?
There's no fixed length. The 10 examples in this post are all videos, and in the 9 with speech the talking runs from about 18 seconds (KUIU) to about 63 seconds (Toxin Dodger), going by their transcripts. Length matters less than the first 3 seconds: the hook has to land before the viewer scrolls.
What is the difference between UGC ads and influencer ads?
With an influencer ad you pay for access to someone's audience, and the post usually runs from their account. With a UGC ad you pay for the video itself and run it from your own ad account to your own targeting. The creator's follower count doesn't matter; how believable they are on camera does.
Where can I find UGC ad examples?
The free Meta Ad Library shows any brand's active ads but can't filter by format. Adspo tags creatives by visual format (Customer Testimonial, Yapper, Demo, Unboxing, POV and more), so you can open Discover, filter to one of those tags and sort by longest running to see the UGC ads brands keep paying for.
Wrapping it up
UGC ads are paid ads that look like a real person made them. The best ones open with a clear hook, show the product doing something, and feel like content rather than a commercial. The 10 above have run for a median of 740 days, so start by copying their structure, then test your own hooks.
Try Adspo free for 7 days and filter Discover by format to find the UGC ads in your niche that brands keep running.