If revenue generation marks a nascent feature’s graduation to maturity, then Instagram’s TikTok clone, Reels, has arrived, as the Facebook-owned platform just launched ads on the short-video feature globally.
The early signs must look good. The company only began testing the ads in select markets in April, with a notable lineup of ad partners including BMW, Nestle/Nespresso, Louis Vuitton, Netflix and Uber, among others. Although the company hasn’t disclosed any hard numbers form the test, the Thursday announcement arrived just two months later.
“We see Reels as a great way for people to discover new content on Instagram, and so ads are a natural fit,” said Justin Osofsky, Instagram’s chief operating officer. “Brands of all sizes can take advantage of this new creative format in an environment where people are already being entertained.”
The offering was designed to fit inside the context of the Reels and Instagram experience. Ads feature still images or videos set in vertical full screen — a format Instagram users are already familiar with, thanks to Stories ads — and play for up to 30 seconds, or half the maximum 60-second time limit of organic Reels videos posted by users.
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They’ll pop up wherever people watch Reels — whether that’s the Reels tab or via Stories, Explore of the main Instagram feed — nestled in between individual clips. Users can interact with the ads as well to comment, like, view, save or share them.
Instagram gives people some control over their ad experience through user settings, and that approach extends to Reels as well. And should an objectionable ad show up, they can tap the “…” menu interface to hide or report it. Reels ads will also be available through an auction-based model, similar to other Instagram ad products.
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