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- 👀 Two YouTube Shorts ads that sell with proof, not promises
👀 Two YouTube Shorts ads that sell with proof, not promises
✌️ [2 Shorts Tuesday] Breaking down our favorite YouTube Shorts Ads Scaling Now
VidTao
February 11, 2026
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 – Reusable “Anti-Condensation” Bag
Let’s watch out first ad pick for this week:
Here’s the core idea:
Daily pain (fogged windows → damp → mold) gets solved by a tiny, rechargeable bag.
The demo makes the mechanism obvious: bag “drinks” moisture, dot turns pink when full, microwave to reset to blue. Seasonal urgency (“sold out last autumn”) closes. ❄️
Why it works
✅ Relentless relatability: “every single morning” + UK winter. Instantly specific.
🔍 Visible mechanism: color-change dot = proof you understand in one glance.
💸 Ownership math: reuse beats throwaways; a quick microwave reset feels good.
🏠 Risk framing: from annoyance to costly damage you can prevent.
Creative beats to swipe
Cold window wipe → bag on sill → dot goes pink.
Microwave POV with timer → dot flips to blue 🔄
Before/after: moldy sill vs clean paint.
Three-step supers: Place → Collects → Recharge.
Hooks to test
“If your windows look like this every morning, do this instead.”
“This little bag pulls water from the air before it hits the glass.”
“Pink dot means ‘full.’ Two minutes in the microwave and it’s new again.”
“Stopped my winter mold without a dehumidifier.”
Offer/LP ideas
2-, 4-, 6-pack bundles by room count.
“Winter stock just returned” banner 🌨️
Explainer: repaint cost vs bag price.
FAQ: microwave safety, lifespan, room coverage.
Additionally, here’s a quick scroll through their landing page in use:
~ 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 – Tech Career Program Ad (Over $1M in Estimated Ad Spend)
Here’s the second ad that taught our attention - and it has over $1m in ad spend:
Core idea:
One tight success story from a high-energy presenter.
Bill went from lineman night shifts to QA → databases → debugging autonomous robots.
The hook challenges an age belief, proof is clear outcomes, pacing stays high. 🚀
Why it works
🧠 Belief break: age and background stop being blockers.
🪜 Concrete path: QA → databases → bug fixes feels attainable.
📍 Place-in-time detail: “Back of his truck in Ohio” adds texture.
🧩 Series frame: “20 grads in 20 days” = repeatable social proof.
Creative beats to swipe
Split-screen: narrator foreground; Bill B-roll working in car.
Caption ladder: “QA → DB → Robots.”
Payoff: “Now in Florida, debugging autonomous robots.”
On-screen disclaimer about outcomes and effort. ✅
Hooks to test
“50 years old. No tech background. Works on robots.”
“From 2 a.m. callouts to QA testing. Here’s the pivot.”
“Bill learned databases in his truck between shifts.”
“The only age limit is the one in your head.”
Offer/LP ideas
“Choose your first role” tiles (QA, Support, RevOps, Data).
Alumni wall of short wins 🧾
Clear “time to first project” timeline.
Fast-start module that ships a tiny portfolio artifact in week one.
Here’s what this advertiser’s quiz-type landing page looks like:
And finally - some swipeable lines (paste-ready!)
Moisture bag ad:
“Pink means full. Two minutes, back to blue.”
“Stopped wiping. Stopped worrying.”Tech program ad:
“Bill didn’t need a new decade. He needed a new ladder.”
“Your first ticket to close: QA.”
🕵️ Want to “Spy” on over 34.4 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 34.4 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.