13 Programmatic Advertising Examples for Better Campaigns

Do you need ideas for your next programmatic ad campaign? 

This blog post is designed to show you what's possible with a range of programmatic advertising examples from across industries. Take a look at how other brands are using ads to drive conversions. 

Whether you're a seasoned media buyer or just starting to explore programmatic, these real-world examples will provide the inspiration you need to build better campaigns.

1. Experiment with the CTA

When we talk about CRO, the CTA gets constant attention—after all, your CTA is the most important element of your ad. 

Programmatic ads let you test multiple CTA variations to find the best performing one. For example, instead of just using "Shop Now," you can test alternatives like "Find Your Perfect Fit," "Get Started," or "Unlock Your Style." 

AllReviews has landed on an atypical CTA that drives results: “Boost Store Conversion Now.” It’s more specific than “Learn More,” which clues customers into what their product is and the impact it will have on their brand.

2. Offer Free Shipping

Ever added an item to your shopping cart and bounced when you saw the shipping rate? 

Free shipping is the cart abandonment buster. 

Use programmatic advertising to target users who have browsed products on your site but haven’t made a purchase (also known as retargeting). 

TUK displays a few of their bestselling products over an incentive to buy more and save on shipping. This works particularly well if you want customers to bundle and save — or you want free shipping to be worth its cost on your end.

3. Offer a Discount

There are hundreds of books written on the psychology of discounts. At the core of them: everyone loves a deal.

The type of deal you offer when you’re doing programmatic advertising will depend on your product or service. You can use data from your CRM to supply a unique discount code to first-time visitors, or a special percentage off to returning customers. 

Here, AlgaeCal leans into specificity. The 37% off claim drives shopper interest and curiosity. Which products are discounted? Which ones have the maximum discount?

4. Showcase Product Specs

Show why your product is better than the rest. You can use programmatic ads to highlight product sizes, range, colors, features, and so on.

For example, if you were selling laptops, you could dynamically change the ad creative to showcase different specs like "24-hour battery life," "1TB SSD storage," or "4K Retina Display," depending on the user's browsing history. 

The SAK Project demonstrates the variety of shin guards they have for sale. Many shin guards are limited in sizing, so displaying that they offer their guards in regular and wide as well as three sizes entices shoppers to find their custom fit.

5. Lean Into Your Target Audience’s AestheticsJohn

For your ad creative, understanding your audience's style and aesthetic preferences will be one of the biggest drivers of clicks. Creative is actually one of the biggest influences in whether a user responds to an ad.

John Masters Organics understands its target audience well. They employ neutral tones and botanical imagery to give the sense that their products align with their motto: “Cruelty-free, clean beauty.”

6. Showcase Product Range

Sometimes, a user will revisit certain product pages again and again before taking the leap to purchase. 

Programmatic ads can show a range of products that they've been browsing, enticing them to close the deal.

Duckfeet uses a product carousel with arrows to click through, encouraging interactivity. This will motivate the user to scroll through the products they’ve been considering.

7. Add Interactive Elements

Interactive ads capture attention. Imagine ads autoplaying a carousel of attractive items; that can stop the scroll.

Consider adding a simple poll, a quiz, or a "scratch-off" that reveals a discount code. These mini-experiences transform a passive ad into an active interaction that builds interest.

Similar to the last example, Nordgreen lets customers look through their products through the ad itself without forcing them to click through to see more.

8. Highlight Experiences and Services

Programmatic isn't just for physical products. Service-based businesses can also use it—perhaps even more effectively, at times—to highlight their brand. 

Reykjavik Excursions uses programmatic ads to show eye-catching photos of their tour packages. This is perfect for someone exploring Iceland travel, particularly with the added incentive of 15% off.

9. Use Interactive On-Hover Animations

Imagine that as soon as a user's cursor hovers over the ad, the creative changes. This stops them from sweeping away from the ad and carrying on with the webpage. This unexpected element catches the user's eye and encourages a click, making the ad feel more like a mini-game than a promotion.

Canary uses this to its advantage by allowing users to hover over their products and view pricing. With a dynamic starting price, users can immediately see the appeal of an affordable camera.

10. Keep the Design Clean

In advertising, space is sold at a premium. Sometimes, less is more. 

Choose your words and creative carefully to avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information. Users are already fatigued by ads all over the web, so a simple design with a logical flow will reduce the chance they’ll look away.

Cluse’s ad screams luxury with a minimalist black-and-white design, simple CTA, and beautiful product images.

11. Offer a Free Trial

For SaaS companies or subscription-based services, a free trial is often the push users need to convert. Programmatic advertising can be used to retarget users who visited your site or who are looking for similar products and keywords.

TeamUp uses its ad space to offer a free trial of their management software. Once users get comfortable with the software, they can upgrade to a subscription.

12. Get Clever with the Dimensions

Display ads typically have predetermined web dimensions. Use that space to your advantage! 

Open Tour Paris makes their banner ad look like a ticket, which is relevant to their product offering—they sell bus passes.

13. Use Celebrity and Influencer Endorsements

Influencers and celebrity endorsements sell—63% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand endorsed by a celebrity they admire.

Jimmy Choo teamed up with Kendall Jenner to showcase their brand, finding an overlap between Jenner’s fans and shoppers who purchase Jimmy Choo.

You don’t have to choose a big-ticket celebrity, but even microinfluencer endorsements can give customers the social proof they need to make a purchase.

Key Takeaways

To recap on what we’ve learned, remember these best practices for winning programmatic ads:

• Personalization is essential: Move beyond generic ads. Use your data to personalize, whether by showing relevant product specs, matching a user's aesthetic, or offering a unique discount.

• Be creative: The best programmatic campaigns use dynamic creative to their advantage. Consider how you can draw the user in with features unique to your ad format.

• Think full-funnel: Programmatic advertising can be used at every stage of the customer journey. Use it to build brand awareness, drive consideration, and close the deal.

• Test and optimize: All aspects of your ad should be subject to testing. Programmatic is the perfect testing ground and can give you quick updates on performance.

• Prioritize the right message at the right time: One time is common with all these ads: context matters. Find the right message to fit your context, and serve it at the right funnel stage to the user.

How Are You Using Programmatic Ads?

Programmatic advertising has been around since the 90s, but we’re still finding new ways to use it. Experiment with all the ways you can grab customer attention and A/B test until you find what works for you!

If you’re starting a programmatic campaign and need expert support, AdRoll is here to help.

Last updated on August 28th, 2025.