Ad Inspiration: Where To Find It and How To Use It In 2025

Coming up with fresh ad creatives isn’t always easy, especially when you’re staring at a blank page. Ad inspiration can help, whether you’re designing static images, writing hooks for video, or testing out new formats. Looking at what’s already working can help you move faster and build stronger ideas.

In this guide, we’ll show you where to find reliable sources of ad inspiration, what types of designs tend to perform well, and how to turn good ideas into ads that convert.

In this article, we’ll cover: 

• Top platforms to find advertising inspiration
• Types of ads that help drive clicks
• Common mistakes in ads
• How to turn inspiration into ads that perform

Let’s start by looking at where to find advertisement examples for inspiration.

Where do I find great ad inspiration?

You don’t have to start from scratch. There are plenty of platforms where you can explore real ad examples, study creative patterns, and save ideas for your next campaign. Here’s where to look, depending on what kind of ad design inspiration you’re after:

Bestever: Best for finding ad ideas and building off them fast

Bestever’s new Inspiration Finder is designed for fast-moving teams who want to turn great ideas into test-ready creatives. You can search static ad inspiration by brand, format, or hook — then recreate the concept right inside the platform.

Unlike typical moodboards or design galleries, every example is structured around real-world performance ideas. The goal is to make it easy to identify strong ad concepts and generate your own variations. Paired with Bestever’s creative testing tools, it’s a fast track from first idea to ready-to-launch asset.

Dribbble: Best for high-end visual design

Dribbble is packed with polished, design-forward ad mockups from top creatives. If you’re looking to level up the visual quality of your static ads, this is a good place to start. While the ads here aren’t usually live campaign assets, the layouts and typography ideas are strong.

Pinterest: Best for broad creative moodboarding

Pinterest is great for collecting inspiration by theme, product type, or audience. You’ll find everything from bold outdoor ads to user-generated content (UGC) style examples and static promos. It’s also helpful for organizing visual references into boards you can revisit or share with a team.

Canva Templates: Best for quick mockups and layout ideas

If you need to get a design out the door fast, Canva’s ad templates can help you visualize layout and structure without opening up Figma or Photoshop. Even if you don’t use the templates as-is, they’re helpful for testing formats or content blocks that could convert.

Foreplay: Best for performance ad examples from real campaigns

Foreplay is built for marketers who want to collect, organize, and study live ad creatives, especially for Meta and TikTok. You can search by brand, hook, or format, and even save swipe folders to share with your team. It’s one of the easiest ways to spot trends and get inspired by ads that are actually running.

Inspiration Grid: Best for creative concept and layout ideas

Inspiration Grid curates ad designs from across the world, often with bold concepts and striking visuals. If you’re brainstorming new angles or campaign themes, it’s a great place to explore ideas that feel different from what’s trending on performance-focused platforms.

Types of ad designs that drive clicks

Great ad design isn’t just about looking polished, it’s about making people stop scrolling and pay attention. The formats below work well because they get the message across fast, highlight real benefits, and make it easy for someone to take action. Consider using:

• Before vs. after (us vs. them): This format shows a clear contrast, like old vs. new, bad vs. better, and them vs. you. It helps people see the value right away, but it can have some ethical concerns, mainly if you mention or call brands out by name.
  
  
• Product + benefit in one frame: Pair the product with a key selling point like “no tools required” or “delivers in 2 days.” It’s simple but strong, especially in static ads.
  
  
• Lifestyle with overlaid text: Show the product in use, then add a short headline or message on top. It feels native to the feed but still gets your point across.
  
  
• UGC / face-to-camera format: These look like organic posts, not ads. A quick video of someone talking to the camera or showing how they use the product builds trust fast.
  
  
• Testimonial carousel or quote ads: Use real reviews, quotes, or star ratings in a clean carousel or image set. It adds credibility and answers doubts without extra copy.

Common mistakes in ad design

Even with great inspiration, it’s easy to make small choices that hurt performance. These are some of the most common issues marketers run into when building ads:

• Too much copy: If everything’s competing for attention, nothing stands out. Stick to one core message and give it room to breathe.
  
  
• Unclear call-to-action (CTA): Make it obvious what you want people to do next. Whether it’s “shop now” or “learn more,” your CTA should be visible and specific.
  
  
• No visual hierarchy: If your ad doesn’t guide the eye, it’s easy to lose interest. Use contrast, size, and layout to lead with what matters most.
  
  
• Stock photo feel: If the ad looks too polished or generic, it can get ignored. Even a slightly raw or real-looking image often performs better.
  
  
• Weak mobile optimization: Most people will see your ad on their phone. If text is too small or visuals feel cramped, performance will suffer.

If you’re not sure whether a design works, tools like Bestever can help you evaluate creatives before you launch. You’ll get quick feedback on hooks, CTAs, branding, and other factors that affect performance, so you can tweak early and skip the trial-and-error.

How do I turn inspiration into high-performing ads?

Saving examples is just the first step. To get real results, you’ve got to turn that inspiration into a creative that’s actually built to convert. Here’s a simple process you can follow:

1. Save designs from top ad inspiration platforms to spark ideas: Look for layouts, hooks, or visual styles that match your product or message.
   
   
2. Draft a few variants based on what you’ve saved: Try mixing formats — turn a static quote into a carousel or rework a UGC ad into a face-to-camera script. The goal is to build options, not just copies.
   
   
3. Upload your drafts into Bestever for creative scoring: This helps you understand what’s likely to work before spending your budget. You’ll get instant feedback on things like hook strength, brand visibility, and scroll-stopping potential.
   
   
4. Adjust based on scoring signals like:
   
   
   • Hook strength: Are you grabbing attention in the first second or line?
     
     
   • CTA visibility: Is the action clear, quick to find, and easy to follow?
     
     
   • Brand consistency: Does the ad feel aligned with your voice, look, and product?
     
     
   • Fatigue risk: Is the ad too similar to others you’ve run, or too busy to land?

This kind of workflow makes it easier to move from a rough idea to a creative that’s ready to test and saves you from launching ads that fall flat.

Frequently asked questions 

What makes an ad visually effective?

A clear message, clean layout, and strong visual focus. Whether you’re building a static creative or experimenting with motion, the best graphic design ads make the value obvious at a glance.

What tools help analyze ad creative?

Platforms like Bestever can do creative analysis. Meta’s Ads Library and Foreplay each offer a different view. Some tools show you how top campaigns perform, others let you test your own ideas before launch. Together, they’re a solid way to validate your concept, especially when you’re pulling banner ad inspiration from platforms like Dribbble or Pinterest.

How do I make Facebook ads that look good and convert?

Start by checking out real Facebook ad examples from brands in your space, whether it’s seasonal or holiday ads. Focus on clarity by using bold visuals, short copy, and a direct CTA. Formats like UGC and quote-based carousels still work well, especially when you apply clear ad creative guidelines to keep everything consistent.

Should I use templates or build custom ads?

You can do both. Templates (like the ones on Canva) make it easy to get started, but custom creative gives you more flexibility to test formats or tie into your branding. Even custom designs can still take cues from high-performing templates.

Can AI help me write and test ads?

Yes, and it’s getting better every day. With AI ad generators, you can draft, refine, and test ads much faster. It’s a great way to speed up your creative process while still keeping control of the process.

How Bestever helps you analyze inspired ads

Getting inspired is one thing, but knowing what to do with that inspiration is another. Not every ad you save will work for your product or audience, and just because something looks great doesn’t mean it’s going to perform. That’s where a bit of creative testing makes a big difference.

Instead of launching ads and hoping for results, you can use Bestever to figure out what’s working (and what’s not) before you go live. Here’s how it fits into your workflow:

• Analyze your ads' effectiveness: Bestever’s Ad Analysis Dashboard gives you instant feedback on an ad's visual impact, brand alignment, sales orientation, and audience engagement. It’ll even break down each element in detail. 
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• Get suggestions to improve every frame: If an ad isn’t hitting the mark, ask Bestever to tell you what’s wrong and get instant, actionable suggestions on what to do to fix it. No more guessing or wasting time — your team can start fixing those issues asap. 
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• Understand your audience: Bestever’s audience analysis tools go beyond sharing standard demographics, helping refine both targeting and messaging. You can share your website URL or integrate it with your ad manager, and it’ll quickly let you know who wants to hear more from you. 
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• Rapid asset generation: Fetch AI-generated images, stock photos, and video clips that all fit your brand voice. Then you can share the creatives with your team to make multiple ad variations faster.

• Instant feedback loop: Know immediately why an ad variant underperforms, then pivot before wasting your budget.

Ready to put your ad inspiration to work? Let our team show you how Bestever can help you turn strong ideas into creatives that perform.

 Schedule a free demo of Bestever now.