Want to see some YouTube Shorts ads that are scaling right now, using VidTao - the best Youtube ad spy tool.
You’re in luck…
Because today is 2 Shorts Tuesday. Why YouTube Shorts ads?
Because YouTube Shorts ad inventory is only going to keep growing:
5 Reasons Why More Creators Are Choosing YouTube Shorts Instead of TikTok
#1 - 💰 MORE MONEY 💰
YouTube made it easier to earn money with YouTube Shorts in 2024 by letting creators take a cut of ad money from their Shorts—a better deal than TikTok’s confusing payment system.
Image source: Google
This works for both short videos and regular YouTube content, making it safer for creators who want steady income.
#2 - ⛔TikTok Ban Rumors/Reality⛔
Rumors (and a quick reality) of a TikTok ban in the U.S. made many creators start posting on YouTube Shorts just in case. YouTube even let Shorts videos be 3 minutes long starting October 2024, copying TikTok’s style while giving creators more flexibility.
YouTube’s Big Advantages
#3 - 📈Built-in audience📈
Shorts get boosted by YouTube’s recommendations and trending lists, helping creators grow faster. TikTok doesn’t connect as well to other apps or longer videos.
#4 - 🆕Different viewers🆕
YouTube’s users are often older (25-34) vs. TikTok’s teen-heavy crowd, so creators can reach new fans.
#5 - 🤦♂️Creators Are Fed Up With TikTok🤦♂️
Many say TikTok’s rules change too often, and they’re tired of worrying about bans. YouTube feels more stable, especially with Google’s support for targeting the right audiences. The 3-minute Shorts also let them tell better stories without switching apps.
...And critically, most DTC & Direct Response advertisers are still under-leveraging YouTube Shorts as an ad placement.
(and the upside is huge)
So, what are some ways you can succeed with YouTube Shorts ads?
Let’s take a closer look at 2 YouTube Shorts ads doing well right now:
The tracking metric you've never heard of that 4x'd a $750M business 
99% of DTC Subscription brands miss this
Duolingo was stuck in 2018.
Yes, $750M in revenue & 40 million+ daily users…
But growth?
Flatlining.
Hundreds of tests running… Nothing moving the needle.
They were trapped optimizing metrics everyone tracks: conversion rates, retention rates, acquisition costs.
Then they used a framework that flips traditional tracking on its head…
…exposing the ONE metric that mattered most...
…buried in every DTC subscription brand's biggest blind spot.
When they tested it against everything else — new user acquisition, reactivation campaigns, onboarding flows — this one metric had 10x more impact than all of them.
The result?
4x growth.
Not from better ads. Not from new traffic sources. Not from a rebrand.
From tracking one transition that 99% of subscription brands completely ignore.
Want to see how you can uncover your DTC subscription business’s “magic metric”?
VidTao Co-Founder Brat Vukovich just wrote an article inside his weekly newsletter, The Dashboard, walking you through exactly how to dig into your own subscription business and uncover this golden insight.
PS — The Dashboard is where Brat shares weekly notes on building BraTrax, buying media, and making sense of performance data - without the fluff.
PPS — Send this link to a friend who needs it: blog.bratrax.com
Ad 1: “Football Mom” Story And Pain Fix Ad
Let’s waste no time and see our first ad pick for this week:
The ad consists of a calm, credible “mom” narrator. Tone is protective, a little guilty, then relieved. Delivery is simple eye-level framing, clear B-roll of bruised shins, the kid suiting up, and a light hero shot running on the field.
It leans on parental responsibility and the “silent pain” frame to unlock urgency.
Structure (beats):
- Hook: “The biggest mistake I made…” + bruise close-up. Immediate stakes.
- Problem: Kid “never complained,” classic minimization.
- Turning point: Red marks reveal hidden cost.
- Solution: “Ultra-comfy shin pad sleeves” + kid’s line: “Mom, these don’t hurt!”
- Outcome: Confidence, speed, “love for the game” returns.
- Offer/CTA: 50% off with branded URL.
Why it works:
- Parent identity + guilt release. The copy lets viewers forgive themselves while taking action.
- Child testimonial micro-moment. One short line from the kid sells comfort better than specs.
- Before/after without claims. Bruise visual → carefree play. No risky medical promises.
- Specific emotion words. “Fearless,” “confident,” “pain-free.”
Swipeable elements:
- Lead with a mistake confession + proof image.
- Add a one-line kid quote that conveys relief.
- Show return of a lost behavior (running hard, tackling).
- Close with a measurable incentive (percent off) in on-screen text.
Creative test ideas:
- Open on slow pan over the bruise with heartbeat SFX, cut hard to smile + sprint.
- Alternate POV lacing up the sleeves, then immediate field action.
- Swap “football mom” POV for coach POV (“I missed this in practice footage…”) for broader authority.
- Thumbnail: split panel bruise vs. sprint with “Hurting → Hungry” text.
This advertiser has many other cool Shorts ads to model after, don’t forget to check them out as well:
Additionally, here’s a quick look at their landing page in use:
~ update from our friends at Funnel of the Week ~
Air Fryers, ‘Dark Posting’ & Category Creation for a $4B Market
Our friends at Funnel of the Week just released a new funnel breakdown…
… This time it’s a DTC beauty brand using dark posting + smart benefit repositioning to turn a decades-old niche product into a mainstream hit.
The product? Shampoo bars. The angle? No longer “eco-friendly” - now it’s hair transformation stories like:
“My hair grew 4 inches in 2 months”
“Finally found the solution for my thin, lifeless hair”
And the growth opportunity is huge:
- US shampoo bar market: $4.13B, growing 7.7% annually
- Only 35% of consumers know this category exists
- Only 8% have tried solid shampoo bars
Go here to see more at Funnel of the Week….
Inside this breakdown, you’ll see:
✓ All “dark post” influencer accounts running now - and how they target different demos
✓ Creative strategy that shifts from eco benefits to personal transformation
✓ The awareness stage moves that take someone from “never heard of it” to “ordering today”
✓ How this exact framework has created billion-dollar markets before (electric toothbrushes, plant-based meat, and more)
Ad 2: Pet-Hair Glove Silent Demo
Now, this next ad is for a pet-hair glove, check it out:
This next ad includes fast cuts of common tools failing in messy environments (car seats, rugs, bedding), punctuated by simple verbal beats: “Nope… Nope…”
Then it shows the advertised hair glove tool that seems to be working much better -
satisfying scrape sounds and a reveal pile at the end. Pure competence theater!
Structure (beats):
- Pattern interrupt: Show the wrong tools first.
- Side-by-side surfaces: Car upholstery → rug → bed → couch.
- Hero pass: Glove glides, hair lifts in sheets.
- Proof stack: Close-up reservoir of collected hair + tidy “after” surface.
Why it works:
- Sensory proof. You can hear and see the lift.
- No over-explaining. Viewers build the claim in their own head.
- Escalating surfaces. Each new texture re-proves the product.
- Visual payoff. The full basket shot is a micro-jackpot.
Swipeable elements:
- Lead with failed alternatives for contrast.
- Use tight macro angles that make hair movement visible.
- Add a final hero pile next to a clean surface.
- Keep spoken words to three: “Nope… Nope… Wow.”
Creative test ideas:
- Add a timer overlay to emphasize speed.
- Insert price/value super briefly after the “Wow.”
- Dog hair variant with seatbelt buckle macro to show crevice performance.
- Thumbnail: glove mid-swipe with half-clean/half-hairy split.
Here’s what this advertiser’s landing page looks like:
Takeaways to ship this week 
- Pair emotion-first UGC (parent guilt → relief) with a hard proof demo (silent competence).
- Use a 1-line micro-testimonial from the true beneficiary: the kid, the pet owner, the cleaner.
- Make your thumbnail a transformation frame, not a logo plate.
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(and Landing Pages)!
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That's all for this week, folks!
We hope this week’s selection of high-performing YouTube Shorts ads has sparked new ideas to test yourself!
Want more insights like these?
Stay tuned for next week’s VidTao 2 Shorts Tuesday…
…where we’ll continue breaking down winning YouTube Shorts Ads you can break down + model for your own creatives & campaigns.
And btw… If you have questions about YouTube ads or YouTube Shorts ads in particular?
Go here to schedule a free chat with our friends at Inceptly. Inceptly is a top Direct Response video ad agency, specializing in high-performing YouTube ad creatives & media buying.
Have a great week!
PS - Go here to Claim Your Free Trial of VidTao Premium: Access 34.3 Million YouTube Ads & Their Landing Pages!
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