🏋️📱 2 YouTube Shorts Ads With Millions of Views That Redefine Progress

Want to see some YouTube Shorts ads that are scaling right now?

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:

…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:

🏋️ Ad #1: “The Gym-Ready Body Scanner” – This Ad Sells Accuracy, Simplicity, and Progress

Have you ever seen such device??

This YouTube Shorts ad by the brand Hume Health blends influencer-style authority, visual walkthrough, and comparison-based positioning to promote the Body Pod - a cool body composition scanner!

It leans into 3 things that convert well on Shorts:

✅ Social proof via the setting (in the gym)
✅ Fast demo of the product in action
✅ Competitive destruction (vs. SmartScale)

This ad also has nearly a million views 👀…

Let’s get into more details, shall we?

Instant Authority Hook – The Trainer Reco 

• “Product I would recommend as a 40-year-old fitness trainer.”
  

• Opens with the speaker framed mid-gym, standing next to the Body Pod.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Immediate credibility—fitness trainer at age 40 implies longevity and trust.
  

• No hype—just a confident recommendation, which aligns with health-minded audiences.
  

• Visual setting (a real gym) enhances trust and relevance.

Product Benefit Stack – What It Does for You 

• “Uses advanced body analysis to help build muscle, lose fat, and reverse your metabolic age.”
  

• Cut to visuals of stepping on the machine, scanning process starts.
  

👉 Why this works:

• High-perceived benefit stack in <10 seconds: aesthetics + health + anti-aging.
  

• “Reverse your metabolic age” = intriguing health promise.
  

• Quick real-world use case demonstration makes it feel simple and achievable.
  

Emotional + Functional Payoff – Personalized Feedback 

• “It gives me precise insights and feedback on which areas I need to work on.”
  

• “Allows me to track progress and stay on course.”
  

• Visual: App interface shows body scan output.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Turns the product into a coach—not just data, but direction.
  

• Progress tracking = emotional payoff (you’re not guessing anymore).
  

• App footage adds tech validation—feels like a premium, integrated solution.
  

Comparison Killshot – Body Pod vs. SmartScale 

• “Six times more accurate than SmartScale.”
  

• “Measures your full body, not just your bottom half.”
  

• Visual: Side-by-side comparison with arrows and scan zones.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Clear competitive destruction—SmartScale gets framed as incomplete.
  

• Specific claim (“six times more accurate”) feels measurable, even if not verified.
  

• Visuals support the claim with anatomy graphics and scan overlays.
  

Call to Action – Recommendation from the Trenches 

• “If you’re on a health program like me, or thinking of starting one… get the Body Pod.”
  

• “10/10 would recommend this.”
  

• Ends with app + machine visual and soft CTA overlay.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Feels peer-to-peer—not a hard sell, just a helpful tip.
  

• Inclusive language (“like me”) builds affinity.
  

• Final “10/10” wraps with enthusiasm and authority.
  

Key Takeaways from this Ad

1️⃣ Authority-Based Hook – Opening as a fitness trainer at 40 gives instant trust & relatability.
2️⃣ Feature Stack = Fast Benefit Framing – In 10 seconds, it’s muscle, fat loss, and metabolic age reversal.
3️⃣ Comparison-Based Framing – Calling out SmartScale makes the Body Pod feel like the “real” option.
4️⃣ Visual Demonstration Sells Simplicity – Stepping on and getting a scan in 20 seconds? Easy to imagine using.
5️⃣ Progress = Emotional Conversion – This isn’t just a tool—it’s how you know your program is working.

Head over to VidTao, our ad intelligence software to see more winning ads by this brand!

📱Ad #2: “Replace Scrolling with This?” – Headway’s Ad Uses Habit Reframing to Sell Microlearning

Our next analysis - a YouTube Shorts ad by Headway (with 2.8M+ views!!)

This ad uses a minimalist, punchy format to reposition wasted screen time as a growth opportunity:

It’s not a deep dive—it's a quick shift in mindset, using:

✅ Positive identity appeal (“Makes you extremely intelligent”)
✅ App demo with in-context phone use
✅ Simple problem/solution framework

Let’s break it down:

Hook – Intelligence as a Habit 

• “Here’s one habit that makes you extremely intelligent.”
  

• Visual: Person holding a phone, casually framed like a social video.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Identity-based hook—people don’t just want to learn; they want to be smart.
  

• Simple, declarative opening drives retention.
  

• Curiosity activated: What’s the habit?

Problem & Solution – Scroll Replaced by Smart Content 

• “Replace social media with microlearning. Have you heard about this app, Headway?”
  

• Visual: App interface shown in real time while scrolling.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Reframes a negative behavior (doomscrolling) as an opportunity.
  

• Soft self-comparison—viewer feels like they could be doing this instead.
  

• Product introduced at the moment of pain recognition.

Social Proof + Ease of Use 

• “I replaced scrolling with it and it’s a game-changer.”
  

• “Whenever you're bored or have 15 minutes…”
  

• Visual: Summaries of well-known books scrolling naturally.
  

👉 Why this works:

• Peer-to-peer tone (“I replaced scrolling…”) feels organic and trustworthy.
  

• Mentions boredom—common trigger for bad habits, now repurposed.
  

• Makes the habit feel frictionless and instantly rewarding.

Soft Close – Addictive + Recommendable 

• “It can be addictive too. I recommend everybody to try microlearning with Headway.”
  

• Visual: Continued use of app; scrolling clean UI and recognizable book titles.
  

👉 Why this works:

• “Addictive” used positively—makes learning feel like the better dopamine hit.
  

• “I recommend” phrasing feels personal, not scripted.
  

• Call to action is implied, not pushy—just a nudge.

Key Takeaways from this Ad

1️⃣ Identity-Based Hook – Opens with a smart habit, not a product, making it aspirational.
2️⃣ Scroll Replacement = Easy Reframing – Turns a time-wasting behavior into an upgrade.
3️⃣ Framed as Low Effort, High Reward – “15 minutes” and “when you’re bored” reduce friction.
4️⃣ App Demo Embedded in Real Context – Viewer sees exactly how and when they’d use it.
5️⃣ Soft Social Proof & CTA – Peer tone and light “recommendation” keep it casual and shareable.

To finish off with, let’s also take a look at the quiz-type lander they’re using:

With that, we’re all done 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!

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