An ad can look great until you place it in a different format. The offer becomes unreadable in a narrow banner, the product gets cropped out of a vertical video, or interface buttons cover important details. The asset is ready, but it doesn’t work where it needs to appear.
That’s why ad design should be planned alongside channel selection. One campaign idea can work across Facebook, Instagram, Google and TikTok, but each placement needs a suitable layout and a considered approach to presenting the message.
What does adapting an ad actually involve?
Adapting an ad involves more than changing its dimensions. You also need to review the amount of text, the position of each element and what the viewer notices first.
Take a campaign for a new chair collection. A larger image might show a chair in a furnished room alongside a short offer. A narrow banner might focus on a single product and its price. A video could show the chair from different angles and give viewers a sense of its size. The offer stays the same, while each format presents it differently.
When preparing ad assets, consider:
- Dimensions and aspect ratio. A square image, a narrow banner and a vertical video require different arrangements of the same elements.
- Screen size. The message needs to remain clear on a small phone screen.
- Placement interface. Buttons, captions and profile details can cover parts of an image or video.
- Content format. Some offers need just one image. Others benefit from a demonstration or a sequence of images.
- Sound. The main message should still make sense when someone watches with the sound off.
How do you keep the brand consistent?
When adapting assets, we retain the brand’s colours, typography, image style and tone of voice. We adjust the layout, copy length and way the offer is presented.
Clear brand guidelines and agreed priorities make this easier. What matters most in the ad: the product, the price, a new feature or a particular benefit? Once that is clear, it becomes easier to decide what to emphasise and what to leave out of smaller formats.
The website should also feel consistent with the ad. If an ad features a particular product and offer, visitors should be able to find both immediately after clicking.
How should ads be adapted for each channel?
Facebook and Instagram
We create separate layouts for feed ads and full-screen vertical placements. Simply cropping an image can remove important product details or upset the balance between the image and the text.
The offer should be easy to spot. If we’re promoting a discount, people shouldn’t have to search for it among several slogans and decorative elements. We use enough text in the image to communicate the main point clearly.
A carousel is useful for showing multiple products, explaining a process or presenting different benefits of an offer. Each card needs a purpose. Five nearly identical images won’t help someone understand the offer any better.
Google display ads
Readability is particularly important in display advertising. Within a small space, viewers need to understand what is being offered and which business is offering it. A long headline, several product images and additional terms can make a banner difficult to follow.
We plan assets around the chosen ad type. Fixed-size banners need individual layouts. For responsive ads, we select images and write copy that remain clear in different combinations.
We check the smallest formats during the design process. If the offer doesn’t fit, we revise the content rather than keep reducing the font size.
YouTube
The opening of a video should give viewers a reason to keep watching. That could be a product demonstration, a familiar situation or a clear offer. A lengthy company introduction can delay the point at which viewers understand what the ad is about.
We adapt the length and structure to the chosen ad format. A short version focuses on one main idea. A longer video can explain how something works, show details or answer a question that might otherwise prevent a purchase.
TikTok
TikTok content should be planned as vertical video before filming begins. This makes it easier to frame each shot and leave room for captions and interface elements.
Showing a product in use, having an employee explain something or filming a relevant situation can give viewers more to engage with than an animated promotional poster. The editing should help communicate the idea. Fast cuts alone won’t make a video interesting.
There’s no need to make content deliberately rough. Clear product shots, understandable audio and natural language matter more.
How Relook plans ad production
Before starting the design work, we establish where the ads will run, what they need to achieve and which assets are already available. This helps us determine whether existing photography is enough or whether filming is also needed.
- Define the assets needed. We list the channels, placements and formats so the scope is clear from the start.
- Develop the visual approach. We agree on the main message, image style and order of information.
- Adapt for each placement. We rearrange layouts, shorten copy and prepare the required image or video versions.
- Check the assets. We review readability, cropping and the visibility of important elements in their intended placements.
- Evaluate performance. We compare results and adjust the message, imagery or video opening where needed.
How does design affect ad performance?
Clear design suited to its placement helps people notice and understand an offer. It doesn’t guarantee a lower cost per click or more purchases. Results also depend on the audience, the offer, competition and how easy the website is to use.
That’s why we evaluate design variations against the campaign’s objective. Click-through rate helps show whether an ad attracts interest, but a sales campaign also needs to be assessed by purchases and acquisition costs. More clicks don’t necessarily mean more customers.
There’s also no need to replace assets simply because they have been running for a few weeks. Changes should have a reason: declining performance, a new offer or a specific idea worth testing.
What should you check before publishing an ad?
- Is the offer clear without reading all the accompanying copy?
- Can the text be read on a phone without zooming in?
- Do cropping or interface elements obscure anything important?
- Does the video’s main message make sense without sound?
- Is it clear what someone will find after clicking?
- Does the offer match what appears on the landing page?
Planning formats at the start of a campaign reduces rushed changes and compromises later. One idea can work across several channels while keeping the offer clear and the brand recognisable in each.
Need ad assets for several channels? Get in touch with Relook. We’ll review your existing materials and recommend what to adapt and what to create from scratch.