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š¤Æš This YouTube Shorts Ad Has Over 14M Views on YouTube...
āļø [2 Shorts Tuesday] Breaking down our favorite YouTube Shorts Ads Scaling Now
VidTao
December 23, 2025
Want to see some YouTube Shorts ads that are scaling right now?
Youāre in luckā¦
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 - š° MORE MONEY š°
YouTube made it easier to earn money with YouTube Shorts in 2024 by letting creators take a cut of ad money from their Shortsāa better deal than TikTokās confusing payment system.
This works for both short videos and regular YouTube content, making it safer for creators who want steady income.
#2 - āTikTok Ban Rumors/Realityā
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 TikTokās style while giving creators more flexibility.
YouTubeās Big Advantages
#3 - šBuilt-in audienceš
Shorts get boosted by YouTubeās recommendations and trending lists, helping creators grow faster. TikTok doesnāt connect as well to other apps or longer videos.
#4 - šDifferent viewersš
YouTubeās users are often older (25-34) vs. TikTokās teen-heavy crowd, so creators can reach new fans.
#5 - š¤¦āāļøCreators Are Fed Up With TikTokš¤¦āāļø
Many say TikTokās rules change too often, and theyāre tired of worrying about bans. YouTube feels more stable, especially with Googleās support for targeting the right audiences. The 3-minute Shorts also let them tell better stories without switching apps.
ā¦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?
Letās 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 š
99% of DTC Subscription brands miss this
Duolingo was stuck in 2018.
Yes, $750M in revenue & 40 million+ daily usersā¦
But growth?
Flatlining.
Hundreds of tests runningā¦ 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 headā¦
ā¦exposing the ONE metric that mattered most...
ā¦buried in every DTC subscription brand's biggest blind spot.
When they tested it against everything else ā new user acquisition, reactivation campaigns, onboarding flows ā 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 businessās āmagic metricā?
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 ā The Dashboard is where Brat shares weekly notes on building Bratrax, buying media, and making sense of performance data - without the fluff.
PPS ā Send this link to a friend who needs it: blog.bratrax.com
āļøš”Ad #1: Indestructible Lightsaber Demo Ad (Theory Sabers)
Our first ad pick for this week is a stunt-style night demo that sells durability and thrill with kinetic tests, glowing visuals, and a clean āShop Nowā finish:
Letās get into more details, shall we:
ā”ļø Cold Open ā Attitude + intrigue
Creator vents on camera, then hard-cuts to the ignited blade.
Why it works: Emotion spike + instant product ignition signals entertainment and power.
ā”ļø Proof Montage ā Torture tests at speed
Blade slammed on rocks, dragged, run over by a tire, tossed down steps; sound design stays punchy.
Why it works: Fast repetition communicates āwe tried to break itā without narration bloat.
ā”ļø Visual Language ā Nighttime neon (throughout)
Dark background, saturated green core, sparks on impact, branded watermark.
Why it works: High contrast turns each hit into a spectacle that reads even on mute.
ā”ļø Category Cue ā Hero closeups
Macro shots of the hilt, chassis, and emitter, then a bold end card: āSHOP NOWā.
Why it works: After indulgent stunts, viewers get a clean product look and a single action.
ā”ļø Key Takeaways
Stunt proofs beat specs for toy-tech impulse buys.
Shoot at night to make the glow do the selling.
Keep one logo bug on screen so clipped shares retain attribution.
ā”ļø Swipe This
Add a two-word overlay on each test: āRock Smashā, āCar Rollā, āStair Dropā.
Insert a 1-second āstill worksā reset shot after each impact.
End on a quick color-cycle to preview variants.
Hereās what this adās stats look like inside VidTao:
~ update from our friends at Funnel of the Week ~
Air Fryers, āDark Postingā & Category Creation for
a $4B Market
Our friends at Funnel of the Week just released a new funnel breakdownā¦
ā¦This time itās 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 āeco-friendlyā - now itās hair transformation stories like:
āMy hair grew 4 inches in 2 monthsā
āFinally found the solution for my thin, lifeless hairā
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, youāll see:
ā All ādark postā influencer accounts running now - and how they target different demos
ā Creative strategy that shifts from eco benefits to personal transformation
ā The awareness stage moves that take someone from ānever heard of itā to āordering todayā
ā How this exact framework has created billion-dollar markets before (electric toothbrushes, plant-based meat, and more)
š„šæ Ad #2: Weed Torch: 10-Minute Yard Reset Ad
This next ad is a handheld phone video, point-of-view burns, and before-after receipts sell a backyard problem-solver without chemicals, check it out:
This ad has gained over 14m views on YouTube since itās publishing in July!!
Letās analyze it together and see what elements it consists of:
ā”ļø Instant Hook ā Rant + novelty
āI am so pissed offā¦ā then ā1.8M BTU propane torch.ā
Why it works: Emotion + a big, specific number creates curiosity and credibility.
ā”ļø POV Demos ā Satisfying burns
Tight shots on cracks, rock beds, retaining walls. Audible sizzle.
Why it works: ASMR for homeowners. Viewers can imagine using it on their own trouble spots.
ā”ļø Benefits In-Line ā No chemicals, less soil disruption
Claims are tied to shots of pets areas and rock beds.
Why it works: Bridges speed with responsibility for pet owners and gardeners.
ā”ļø Mechanism Nudge ā Root regrowth disruption
Simple cause-effect explanation without jargon.
Why it works: Gives buyers a reason to believe beyond spectacle.
ā”ļø Outcomes ā Time and result
Before/after plus āabout 10 minutes.ā
Why it works: Clear payoff and a concrete time promise.
ā”ļø Key Takeaways
Lead with emotion, lock in with a giant specificity number.
POV framing makes yard work feel easy and gratifying.
Pair each claim with a matching shot to de-risk the purchase.
ā”ļø Swipe This
On-screen counters: āPass 1: 6 seconds per patch.ā
Quick pet-safe overlay if compliant.
Side-by-side: hand weeding vs torch time lapse.
šµļø Want to āSpyā on over 29 million YouTube ads (and landing pages)?
Go here to claim your free trial of the VidTao Premium YouTube Ad Libraryš
Thatās all for this week! š
We hope this weekās selection of high-performing YouTube Shorts ads has sparked new ideas to test yourself!
Want more insights like these?
Stay tuned for next weekās VidTao 2 Shorts Tuesdayā¦
ā¦where weāll continue breaking down winning YouTube Shorts Ads you can break down + model for your own creatives & campaigns.
And btwā¦ 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? š Go here to set up a free YouTube Ad brainstorm chat.