Brands use different advertising platforms to entice more audiences and get them as customers eventually. Facebook is one of the widely used advertising platforms because of its user base and popularity. Brands can choose the following to showcase their product or service on Facebook:

• Video
• Images
• Carousel
• Slideshow
• Dynamic ads

Following trends, many brands opt to use video. However, photos also offer value provided it has good advertising design and copy. In this article, we give an overview of the pros and cons of publishing Facebook ads and discuss the top Facebook ads from big companies.

 

Pros and Cons in Advertising on Facebook

Facebook remains as one of the top social media sites. Over 1.60 billion people flock to Facebook for updates, news, and so much more. Thus, advertising on the platform can help increase visibility and prompt the buyer’s journey.

Many brands advertise on Facebook because of the following reasons:

• Targeting approaches
• Low-cost
• Ease of use

Many experts praise the microtargeting approach by Facebook. Ads can go to a local level (i.e., city, county, or town). That way, brands can branch out the ads to more people.

It’s also affordable to reach more people on Facebook. According to Oberlo, it costs around $0.50 to $2.00 (cost-per-click basis) to advertise on the platform.

Companies don’t have to face any difficulty in publishing a post on Facebook too. Fit Small Business says it’s easier to publish ads because of the interface and the tools.

One of the disadvantages of publishing an ad on Facebook is the 20% rule. It pertains to the appearance of the text on Facebook. If the copy occupies more than 20% of the space in the ad, Facebook won’t run it. You’ll need to make sure you follow a grid structure so Facebook can run your ad.

According to Impact BND, another disadvantage of posting a Facebook ad is paying to become more visible. Even if there’s microtargeting, you’ll need to allocate funds to make sure your target audience sees your ad. Plus, because of paid ads, you might have some difficulty with measuring your actual organic reach. It remains unclear if the ad is relevant in the organic sense for your user base.

 

Top Facebook Ads from Big Brands

 

Southwest Airlines

To ease up costs on air travel during a trying time, Southwest Airlines offered a sale for their one-way tickets. US citizens needing to get home to their loved ones or those who need to get home can avail a ticket for as low as $49.

The advertising design incorporates the colors of Southwest Airlines, which indicate branding. Plus, they used a number too. It’s also an excellent way to capture an audience’s attention, especially if they’re continuously scrolling down their Facebook timeline.

 

Walmart

Here’s one of Walmart’s Facebook ads for their career in truck driving ad campaign. It’s to entice people to become part of the Walmart team by making a difference and getting benefits too. Their ad is one of the top Facebook ads on this list.

Instead of using actual people for the ad, they used high-quality illustrations that would make you take a second look. They used bold colors too, which is a typical graphic design trend that many experts predict for 2020. The other ads in the campaign do use people but kept the bold color theme. It’s good to do that to remain consistent as well.

 

Hubspot

Any marketer knows that Hubspot is one of the go-to resources for free ebooks and other products to increase growth and attain goals. Hubspot collaborated with Talkwater for one of their ebooks and published an ad campaign for it.

It’s one of the top Facebook ads because of the high-quality image and use of colors to entice its target audience into downloading one of their ebooks. Not only that, but they also incorporated both their brand color and Talkwater’s to present their collaboration to the public. They used gradients on the model of the photo too, which is a graphic design trend.

 

Salesforce

Salesforce uses different characters to represent their brand and its products. One of its most prominent characters, Astro (a raccoon), is the all-around guide for Salesforce. So, it’s only apt that his character takes the spotlight in one of their ad campaigns. 

It’s one of the top Facebook ads because Salesforce also added data on the advertisement to add proof of their solutions. That way, people can get an idea that Salesforce’s CRM works for its customers.

 

Geico

As with Salesforce, Geico used its signature gecko as part of its Facebook ads. Many identify a gecko to Geico, so it’s only right to use the character on the ads. 

To promote that there are local Geico insurance agents where a user lives, it used the gecko and a photo of a map behind them. It’s a way to show people that Geico is present and nearby for anyone who needs insurance immediately.

 

Cisco

Cisco published a typographical ad that ran on Facebook.

They use data visualization to demonstrate the pressing issue of cyberattacks on small businesses. Cyberattacks can be a hindrance, and Cisco looks to provide solutions through the ad. It also makes use of white space and a visual hierarchy so the copy on the ad is easy to read too.

 

American Express

American Express published a personal savings ad campaign. They showcased real people in the photo and video ads. The ads are straightforward, but the copy can draw you in because of the typography and the number (1.70%).

It’s to make a connection with their target audience to ensure that its customers can use the card for any personal transaction at a low APY.

 

Kohl’s

For their sale ads, Kohl’s used a split-screen layout to separate the text from the photo. 

The ads are minimalist, and it features some big brands. They used photo ads, video ads, and carousel ads for the campaign. The text can help them capture people’s attention because it uses bolded fonts. Color combinations give the ad its splash of color, and it’s easy to spot when navigating the Facebook feed.

 

Paypal

Paypal used illustrations for its ad campaign.

One of its Facebook ads showed that its application is secure. To do that, they placed a dollar behind wires. They added security cams on its sides. There’s even a guard dog. It’s to demonstrate that you could trust Paypal with your money. As part of their ad campaign, they recommended people to download the Paypal app as well.

 

Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed, Bath, & Beyond had an ad campaign for their everyday registry items. There were two types of Registry ad campaigns. They presented photos of their products for that campaign, while they used layouts for video and photo ads. 

The ones with the layout are some of the Top Facebook ads on this list. It’s simple because of the elements and colors used in the ad. Many experts say muted colors are also trendy, and the brand made use of it well.

It seems the company also optimized their ads for mobile, as some of the Registry ads look vertical too.

 

Western Union

Western Union ran an ad campaign to download its app, so it’ll be easier to transact and send money. 

To show that you can receive money on-the-go, they published photo ads showing illustrations. It also has two layers: a yellow and black one. It’s part of their branding, so it’s easier to spot on people’s Facebook feeds. In the example, you can see they use a globe. It seems to signify you can send money at any time and receive it quickly. 

 

American Eagle

To promote jeans, American Eagle created an ad campaign that seems to follow an asymmetrical pattern.

The background of the image uses bold colors like pink or yellow, so users can easily spot the ad. They also seem to use a repeating technique to make the ad stand out. According to Design Shack, outline typography is a trend for 2020, and American Eagle used it well.

It’s an unconventional advertising design, but it still works because it would stick out in Facebook users’ feeds.

 

Final Thoughts

As the use of video increases, photo ads (and other photo related Facebook ad types) continue to dominate on the social media platform. The top Facebook ads in this list demonstrate that graphic designers follow trends to stand out from the crowd. 

In creating your ads, make sure to remember your audience in mind and their needs. You need to remember what to expect when publishing on Facebook, and the budget you’ll allot to run an ad campaign as well.

Design Doctor can provide your small business with a Facebook ad that will help you get more leads, engagements, or clicks. You will get high-quality images or illustrations so you can entice your audience better. 

Don’t hesitate to request for other visual assets like promotional marketing materials, logos, and flyers! You can ask for all of these in a month, all for a monthly rate of $329.