The best ad examples, decoded
Quick answer: some of the best ad examples ever are Dollar Shave Club's launch video, IKEA's print ad you literally pee on, Surreal's fake celebrity endorsements, and McDonald's Halloween "vampire fries." What they share is one clear idea that could only be that brand's ad. I decode a great ad like these regularly in the best marketing newsletter. Here is what makes them work and how to write your own.
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What separates a great ad from a nice-looking one
A great ad has one clear idea you can explain in a sentence, and it could only be that brand's ad. If you could swap the logo for a competitor's and it still works, it is decoration, not an idea. The best ads make the idea and the product the same thing, so you cannot remember one without the other.
Great ads also respect attention. They earn the stop in the first second, then reward it. Production value is a distant second to a sharp idea.
The best ad examples, and the move behind each
- Dollar Shave Club, launch video. One cheap, confident, funny video built a company. The move: say the quiet part loud and be unmissably clear.
- IKEA, the pee-on-it print ad. A print ad that worked as a pregnancy test and unlocked a discount. The move: make the medium do the talking.
- Surreal cereal. Faked celebrity endorsements for about £200. The move: turn a limitation into the joke, and the joke into reach.
- McDonald's, Halloween. Two fries and a drop of ketchup became Dracula, no logo needed. The move: a brand so famous it can sign with a shape.
- Oatly. Ads that read like a weird friend wrote them. The move: tone of voice as a moat.
- JBL. A noise-cancelling ad that sells silence, not specs. The move: sell the feeling, not the feature.
Every one of these is broken down in full on the site. See the latest below or the whole archive.
Best ad examples by type
Video ads
Dollar Shave Club and JBL show how a single idea beats a big budget.
Print and out-of-home
IKEA's pregnancy-test ad and McDonald's Halloween fries prove a static frame can carry one killer idea.
Guerrilla and stunts
Surreal's fake endorsements and Cards Against Humanity's stunts turn small budgets into headlines.
Digital and social
Reactive, fast, community-driven ads that live and die on timing.
How to write your own great ad
- Find the one idea. If you cannot say it in a sentence, keep cutting.
- Make it un-swappable. If a rival could run it unchanged, it is not yours yet.
- Earn the first second. Lead with the stop, not the setup.
- Sell the feeling. People buy outcomes and emotions, not specs.
- Cut everything else. One ad, one idea, one action.
Want more like this? See the best marketing examples for campaigns beyond ads.
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Hey, I'm Somy. Kimmie and I run Epic Marketing Shit. We spend hours finding the campaigns worth stealing so you don't have to, then hand you the best one every week. That's the whole promise.
Get to know us →Frequently asked questions
What are the best ad examples of all time?
Dollar Shave Club's launch video, IKEA's pregnancy-test print ad, Surreal's fake endorsements, and McDonald's Halloween "vampire fries" are standouts. Each is broken down in Epic Marketing Shit.
What makes an ad effective?
One clear, memorable idea tied tightly to the product, so it could only be that brand's ad, and a first second that earns attention.
What is the most famous ad ever?
There are many, but Dollar Shave Club's launch video is a modern favourite because a tiny budget and one sharp idea built an entire company.
Where can I see great ads explained?
In Epic Marketing Shit, a free weekly newsletter that breaks down one great ad or campaign at a time.
What are good low-budget ad examples?
Surreal (about £200 for fake endorsements) and Dollar Shave Club (one cheap video) prove budget is not the constraint. A clear idea is.
How do I come up with a good ad idea?
Start from one specific, un-swappable idea about your product, lead with the stop, and sell the feeling rather than the feature.
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