Here’s to the scroll-stoppers – the ads that had you spraining your thumb just to go back and swipe up. We spent the past year panning for paid social gold and here are the shiniest nuggets: The 21 Best Paid Social Ads of 2021.

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This ad is just 🤌. While product comparisons typically perform well, Terra Kaffe's approach incorporated eye-catching motion to create intrigue. And with a charmingly alliterative CTA in the supporting copy, how could we ever deny ourselves premium coffee for just $69/month??

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This ad has us both excited for ski season and nostalgic for an era of travel we've never known. Brilliant animation and sound design create the ambiance of a train depot—the perfect setting for a deal that's about to leave the station. Staying on track, Ikon drops in a snowboard pun CTA, reminding us to get on board before prices go up.

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Benny likes it! While a celebrity endorsement definitely seals the deal here, it's the simple and natural influencer testimonials with bold typeface that make you want to add some Sichuan chili spice to your life.

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We've said it before and we'll say it again: sometimes a brief animation is all you need! This ad is a mesmerizing explosion of fun that lets us know exactly what to expect from a Welly first aid kit. And because the USPs stay on screen for so long, we have plenty of time to take in the highlights without feeling rushed.

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‍Pop quiz: Do you feed your dog really boring food in a gray bowl? Or, do you feed them the colorful stuff that looks—dare I say—kind of delicious? Ollie uses plenty of visual cues to set up this classic comparison ad before adding a little extra meat via squiggly USPs. And to make it extra inciting to us humans, 50% off. 👌

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Does putting things in trays spark joy? Yes, yes it does. We love how Open Spaces uses a single testimonial to set a theme for this incredibly satisfying ad—all before sticking the landing with a strong CTA that practically requires a click.

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If Viagra is looking for some stiff competition, you can be sure Lemonaid is here to give it to them. Switcher campaigns need to clearly communicate USPs, and Lemonaid does just that—all while leaning on an upbeat soundtrack to assert their comparative coolness.

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Here’s the thing: If you can keep your in-ad headline clear and concise (and you already have some solid brand awareness), you might even have time left over to throw in a fun fact! Plus, we love that the illustration style here is a little more eccentric than what you might typically expect from a bank. Cha-ching!

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Has stocking your fridge ever looked—or sounded—quite this satisfying? We love how the use of UGC-esque footage makes the ad feel super human and relatable. Plus, it's just mesmerizing enough to keep you watching till the end card, where big text and an appetizing CTA ($40 off, anyone?) make the sell.

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Straight forward product shots, simple copy, match cut transitions, catchy soundtrack, and subtle yet playful text animation, all wonderful and direct tactics to sell some pants. The surprising (and weird) ending is a fun way to reward viewers for sticking it out to the last second.

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Did we expect a stack of cookies to have us feeling some type of way? No. Are we complaining? Also, no. We love how Fat Snax sets the scene with visuals and sound in order to surprise viewers with cleverly asterisked (and very clickable) in-ad copy.

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Oh boy, do we adore a self-aware ad. Attentive keeps things short and sweet while getting brilliantly meta on us, which instantly makes them seem more down-to-earth than the competition.

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Sound design and animation do a beautiful dance here to catch your eye and ear. Beat drops and a scene change keep your attention, and the ad never strays from Spotify's familiar user interface, so you feel right at home.

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Bills, bills, bills! With just 4 words and 2 super easy-to-understand animations, Bill.com manages to convey exactly what their product does and how it helps SMBs go paperless. Not bad for a company that specializes in making things fast and simple!

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‍Brb, crying. 😭  Truebill hooks us with an interrogative headline and a weird, wonderful visualization of a familiar struggle before mobile mockups and spoken USPs show us how the app works. It's the perfect combo to take us from sobbing to saving in under 20 seconds.

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Visually commanding motion graphics quickly communicate all that Rippling has to offer… clearly calling out UVPs in a fun and engaging way is much preferred to long copy. This visual game rewards the viewer and gives just enough information to tease the “learn more” click.

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To be human is to deal with gross human smells and secretions. Most brands shy away from mentioning them explicitly, but Lume meets us where we are — in our own perfectly imperfect bodies. Using terms we all know to describe topics we only bring up with close friends and physicians, Lume speaks more like a trusted friend than a brand trying to make a buck.

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But first, (concentrated) coffee. Jot beautifully demonstrates how to prepare concentrated coffee to the uninitiated while a sunny soundtrack suggests ease of use. And in case any skeptics aren't sold on how Jot compares to other coffee solutions, they lean on their customers' voices in the supporting copy to take down the competition via testimonials.

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Not since that infamous scene in American Psycho have business cards been so captivating. We were so hypnotized by this circular gif animation that we watched it at least 4 times before realizing it was a loop. A 25% off stamp graphic had us clicking to check designs and prices.

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‍Is that a Narnian portal in a suitcase ad? You bet. Away smartly leans on motion and sound to illustrate their USPs while keeping us entertained. The reveal at the end—paired with one of the best supporting copy lines we've seen—instantly had us checking prices.

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Ah, another stop motion ad. But what's impressive here is that it makes you believe moving a sofa around doesn't have to be as difficult as Ross and Chandler make it look. PIVOT! Plus, it's crammed with USPs that dance around shots of the product in action. We'll just say it: we want a sofa in a box.

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Well, well, well. Look who made it to the end of our "The 21 Best Paid Social Ads of 2021" blog post! We see you, fellow lover of all things paid social. Thanks for being with us on this wild and weird recap of the past year.

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