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💪🎙️Jawline flex, voice upgrade, simple CTAs - ads that work!
✌️ [2 Shorts Tuesday] Breaking down our favorite YouTube Shorts Ads Scaling Now
VidTao
December 30, 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: Jawliner “It Works Too Well” Founder Piece
Let’s take a look at the first shorts ad we chose for this week:
Format: Founder selfie + packaging cutaways + blunt confession.
Hook: “I’m toning down the chewing of my own jawline gum because it works too damn good.”
CTA angle: Self-aware promo. “Two things can be true.”
Why this ad works
Confession as pattern interrupt. Opens with a contrarian claim that implies overperformance. Curiosity spikes before the brand is even named.
Founder credibility. On-camera founder ≈ built-in authority and native trust.
Objection judo. He voices the exact objection (“this is just a promo”) and answers it while leaning into proof.
Transformation framing. “Compare my videos two years ago” invites viewers to self-verify.
Masculine aspiration cues. Close framing of jaw/neck keeps the promise visual.
Steal-able elements
Start with a problem-of-success line: “I had to stop using X as often because Y.”
Two truths bridge: “Yes, I’m promoting it. Also, here’s the result.”
Self-verification CTA: “Scroll my older videos” or “Check the pinned before.”
Fast tests
3 openers:
“I regret launching this gum…”
“My jaw got too wide. Here’s why.”
“I toned it down to 10 minutes a day.”
Add proof beat: 3-second before clip freeze-frame with outline around jaw.
Packaging swap at 0:03 vs 0:08 to see where product reveal converts best.
Comment bait lower-third: “Type ‘plan’ for my 14-day chew protocol.”
Watchouts
Claims. Keep statements subjective or demonstrably personal. Avoid medical or body-mod promises.
Frequency guidance. Add an on-screen usage disclaimer to reduce implied risk.
Inside VidTao, you can find more ads by this advertiser, as well as landing pages, relevant statistics and more!
~ 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: Vocal Image “3 Neeks To a new Voice” Case Demo
Moving on to the next ad, let’s take a watch:
Format: Side-by-side Before/After + app UI + directive CTA.
Hook: “You won’t believe this was me three weeks ago.”
CTA angle: “Take the voice test. Start your transformation.”
Why this ad works
Time-boxed outcome. “Three weeks” sets a believable horizon.
Demonstrated benefit. You actually hear the “after” line for social proof.
Low-friction first step. A “test” feels lighter than “buy” and qualifies demand.
Interface reassurance. Quick UI tour reduces anxiety about how the program works.
Steal-able elements
Before-line / After-line symmetry. Same sentence, different delivery. Easy clarity.
On-screen progress ring at 0% during the tour hints at habit loops.
Directive CTA: “Take the test” outperforms “Learn more” for intent.
Fast tests
Cold open: Start on the After voice for 1.5s, then flash “3 weeks later.”
Social proof ticker: “37,942 tests taken today.”
Persona variants: Presenter, salesperson, creator, manager.
Offer ladder: Free test → 7-day micro plan → annual.
Watchouts
Keep the Before believable. Over-processing the After can backfire.
If using testimonials, include usage context (daily minutes, session count).
To finish off with, here’s a quick look at this advertiser’s landing page in use:
🕵️ 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👇
That’s all for this week! 🚀
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 29 Million YouTube Ads & Their Landing Pages!
PPS - Are you spending $1k/day+ on Paid Ads? 👉 Go here to set up a free YouTube Ad brainstorm chat.