Instagram Story ads
Instagram Story ad examples brands keep running
Twenty live Story ads from skincare, makeup, fashion and food brands. Each shows the hook, the offer, how long it has run and the page a tap opens.
- of long-running Instagram ads carry a 9:16 Story version
- 84%
of long-running Instagram ads carry a 9:16 Story version
- brands read
- 61
brands read
- live Story ads among them
- Over 2,000
live Story ads among them
- longest-running example here
- 444 days
longest-running example here
What the longest-running Story ads share
Three habits that show up across all four categories.
Say it in the first line
Viewers tap past a Story in a second. 36% of the live Story ads we read open on a bold claim.
Make one offer
Every example here carries one deal or none: $30 off, 5 for $35, a free gift.
Open the page the Story promised
A tap should land on the product or offer the Story showed, not a homepage of everything.
Skincare Story ads
554 of the 600 longest-running Instagram ads from 15 skincare brands carry a Story version. Five of them, one per brand, with the page each opens.
Carousel
Heyday
“Get $30 off your first facial”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
$30 off a first facial
Button
Book now
Running
444 days
Opens
Homepage
The offer is the whole hook, and the homepage repeats the $30 off in its top banner beside a book button.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
Medicube
“guess my skin is made of glass now..😮💨💥”
Hook
First-person story
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
420 days
Opens
Product page
A first-person line reads like a friend's Story, and the tap lands on the exact mask she's wearing.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
Biodance
“One patch targets 5 different wrinkle spots.”
Hook
Bold claim
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
195 days
Opens
Product page
One specific number, five wrinkle spots, is a claim a viewer can check, and the product page leads with its Amazon #1 badge.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
Ursa Major
“SAVE UP TO 20% OFF”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
Save up to 20% on a bundle
Button
Shop now
Running
182 days
Opens
Collection page
It promises a bundle discount and opens a build-your-own bundle page that spells out each tier in its first lines.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
Jumiso
“This is why your niacinamide didn't work.”
Hook
Problem callout
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
66 days
Opens
Product page
It names a problem the viewer already has, then opens on the one serum it explains, with clinical results up top.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Makeup and beauty Story ads
514 of the 600 longest-running Instagram ads from 15 makeup and beauty brands carry a Story version. Five of them, one per brand, with the page each opens.
Carousel
Stila
“Endless Looks. One Palette.”
Hook
Bold claim
Offer
A discount in the caption
Button
Shop now
Running
330 days
Opens
Product page
One product, one benefit: range in a single palette, and the tap opens that palette's product page.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
MERIT
“FREE Signature Bag with every first purchase”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
Free bag with a first order
Button
Shop now
Running
252 days
Opens
Product page
A free gift gives a new viewer a reason to try, and the page sells one starter set, not the whole range.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
ONE/SIZE
“Unlock 15% OFF 🔓”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
15% off a first order
Button
Shop now
Running
236 days
Opens
Collection page
The discount is for new customers, and the page is the best sellers, so a first order starts with proven products.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
Lawless
“Ditch the Needles - Shop Lawless”
Hook
Bold claim
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
220 days
Opens
Product page
It names what the buyer is weighing instead, filler, and the product it opens is called Forget The Filler.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
ColourPop
“Swipe It to Believe It”
Hook
Curiosity
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
154 days
Opens
Collection page
A three-word dare fits a full-screen tap-through, and the collection holds only the eyeshadow sticks the ad shows.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Fashion Story ads
443 of the 595 longest-running Instagram ads from 15 fashion brands carry a Story version. Five of them, one per brand, with the page each opens.
Carousel
Cuts
“Up to 50% Off”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
Up to 50% off
Button
Shop now
Running
293 days
Opens
Collection page
A plain discount, and the archive collection opens under the same up-to-50%-off banner.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
Mother
“Early Blue.”
Hook
Product showcase
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
217 days
Opens
Product page
Two words and a wash name: for a denim brand with a following, the product is the hook, and the page is that one jean.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
Meshki
“Next Day Delivery Available Now”
Hook
Bold claim
Offer
Next-day delivery
Button
Shop now
Running
153 days
Opens
Collection page
It sells the delivery, not the dress, to shoppers who need an outfit by tomorrow, and opens on everyday pieces.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
SKIMS
“5 for $35 underwear”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
5 for $35
Button
Shop now
Running
113 days
Opens
Collection page
A price you can do in your head opens a collection of only that cotton line.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
Ondo
“Sick of your no show socks... showing?”
Hook
Question
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
107 days
Opens
Product page
A question every no-show sock wearer has asked, answered by one four-pack on the product page.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Food and drink Story ads
521 of the 636 longest-running Instagram ads from 16 food and drink brands carry a Story version. Five of them, one per brand, with the page each opens.
Video
Béquet Confections
“AWARD WINNING GOURMET CARAMEL”
Hook
Bold claim
Offer
No offer
Button
Shop now
Running
442 days
Opens
Collection page
An award in the opening line borrows outside proof, and the tap opens the whole caramel range sorted by best sellers.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
Koatji
“Plant Milk Perfection”
Hook
Bold claim
Offer
Free gift on the page
Button
Shop now
Running
372 days
Opens
Product page
The claim is the product, and the tap lands on that exact barista milk with a free gift on the first screen.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Carousel
Bones Coffee
“Say Goodbye to Boring Coffee!”
Hook
Problem callout
Offer
A subscription option
Button
Shop now
Running
175 days
Opens
Collection page
It picks a fight with boring coffee, then opens on the bag collection where every flavor is the answer.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Video
Smackin Sunflower Seeds
“Get $20 OFF For a Limited Time!”
Hook
Offer first
Offer
$20 off
Button
Shop now
Running
143 days
Opens
Product page
Twenty dollars off up front, then a variety pack, so a first order covers every flavor.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
Image
Lifeboost Coffee
“Coffee shouldn’t hurt your stomach”
Hook
Problem callout
Offer
58% off on the page
Button
Shop now
Running
99 days
Opens
Offer page
A stomach complaint coffee drinkers know, sent to a long sales page that opens on 58% off and the low-acid proof.
See it in Meta's Ad Library
How Story ads open
The opening line of over 2,000 live Story ads from 61 brands, by hook.
Bold claim
733 ads · 36%
New or launch
309 ads · 15%
Product showcase
183 ads · 9%
Offer first
148 ads · 7%
Problem callout
126 ads · 6%
Question
86 ads · 4%
Build the page your Story opens
Pick a Story ad and Replo builds the landing page for it, on your brand and products.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an Instagram Story ad?
- An Instagram Story ad is a full-screen, vertical ad that plays between the Stories people tap through. It's 9:16, the shape of a phone screen, and a tap on its button opens the brand's page without leaving Instagram.
- What size is an Instagram Story ad?
- 1080 by 1920 pixels, a 9:16 ratio. Keep text and logos away from the top and bottom of the frame, where Instagram puts the profile name and the button, so nothing important is covered.
- Do brands make a separate version for Stories?
- Most do. Of the over 2,400 longest-running Instagram ads we read from 61 brands, 84% carry a 9:16 version made for Stories and Reels next to the square or 4:5 feed version.
- Where do these Story ad examples come from?
- From Meta's Ad Library. We quote each ad's opening line and link to the ad there; we don't copy videos or images. The phone screenshot is our own capture of the page the ad opens.
- Can Replo build the page a Story ad opens?
- Yes. Tell Replo which ad you're running, and it builds the landing page on your brand and products: the Story's promise as the headline, the offer on the first screen and a clear add to cart.
