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🧪 🏋️‍♂️ From Brown-Again Roots to Better Swings: These ads are true Scroll-Stoppers

✌️ [2 Shorts Tuesday] Breaking down our favorite YouTube Shorts Ads Scaling Now

Author

VidTao
December 02, 2025

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:


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.

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: “Slow and repigment greys” (Arey brand ad)

Our first ad pick for this week is this hand-held UGC demo sells “inside + outside” hair support with a single-strand proof shot:

Let’s get into more details, shall we:

Instant Hook – Proof strand in second 1

Close-up of a grey hair growing back brown from the root. Text calls it out.

Why this works: Visual proof before claims. Thumb-stopper that reads even on mute. 👀

Mechanism Setup – System, not a SKU

“The system slows and even repigments greys from the outside in and the inside out.” Serum + supplement framed as a duo.

Why this works: Two-front solution = higher perceived efficacy and basket size. 🧪➕💊

Hero Ingredient – Peptide complex

“Supports melanin production.” Macro pump shot; texture shown.

Why this works: Clean, specific mechanism line without drifting into medical territory. 🔬

Texture Proof – Invisible finish

“Oil-free, not greasy, dries like it wasn’t there… adds volume.” Quick run-through hair.

Why this works: Addresses top objections for scalp serums in one pass. 💁‍♀️

Supplement Cred – Antioxidants + herbs

Capsules in palm; overlay: “Fights oxidative stress that causes most greys.”

Why this works: Simple oxidative-stress frame is familiar and compliant. 🌿

Social Proof Lite – Qualitative stats card

100% felt more vibrant; 90% saw less grey growth; 90% felt thicker/smoother (qualitative).

Why this works: Round numbers + card layout signal legitimacy, even muted. 📊

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Open with undeniable visual proof.
• Name the “system” and keep the inside/outside frame tight.
• Preempt serum objections: oil-free, dries invisible, adds volume.
• Use a clean stats card for instant credibility.


Additionally, here’s what this advertiser’s landing page looks like:

~ 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

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: “Kettlebell swing makes everything better” (split-screen podcast + training)

This next ad is caption-led, but also uses a split-screen tactic that shows 2 men in a podcast setup, but also workout at the bottom part of the screen, check it out:

… this ad also has over 2M views 👀

Cold Open – Personal gain in 1 line

“Started doing kettlebells… I got stronger at things I wasn’t even doing.”

Why this works: Counterintuitive benefit primes curiosity. 🔁

Authority Bridge – Cross-sport credibility

“The kettlebell swing increased performance of world-champion powerlifters and top marathon runners.”

Why this works: Strength + endurance named together expands total addressable viewer. 🥇🏃‍♂️

Core Claim – “Most beneficial exercise”

Direct superlative with split-screen of crisp swings.

Why this works: Category stake that invites agreement or debate in comments. 📣

Mechanism Stack – 4 benefits in 4 seconds

Power, fast-fiber mitochondrial development, connective tissue training, cardio.

Why this works: Dense benefit blitz; reads as science-backed without jargon. 🧬

Editing Move – Podcast top / gym bottom (throughout)

Host reactions + expert lines above, kinetic proofs below, subtitles all the way.

Why this works: Social validation plus visual demonstration keeps pace high, even muted. 🎛️

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Lead with a counterintuitive personal win, then escalate to cross-sport proof.
• Split-screen podcast + demo is a cheat code for authority on Shorts/Reels.
• Stack benefits in a rhythm: power → mitochondria → tissue → cardio.
• Keep captions bold and legible for mute-first feeds.

🕵️ Want to “Spy” on over 29 million YouTube ads (and landing pages)?

Go here to claim your free trial of the VidTao Premium YouTube Ad Library👇

With that, we’re all done for this week’s ad selection! 🚀

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!

PPS - Are you spending $1k/day+ on Paid Ads? 👉 Go here to set up a free YouTube Ad brainstorm chat.