Reddit Advertising Examples: Inspiration Gallery

Looking for Reddit advertising examples to inspire your next campaign? This gallery showcases proven ad approaches across industries and formats—giving you concrete ideas you can adapt for your brand.

Unlike other platforms, Reddit rewards creativity that feels native to the community. The examples below demonstrate how successful advertisers balance promotional goals with the authenticity Reddit users expect.

Industry Examples

Technology & SaaS

Developer Tools Ad: A code editor company ran promoted posts in r/programming featuring a single, useful keyboard shortcut most developers didn't know. The ad taught something valuable in the first line, then mentioned their tool as an optional way to use it.

What to steal: Lead with a micro-lesson that provides immediate value. Product mention comes second.

Cybersecurity Brand: A security company shared a breakdown of a real (anonymized) breach scenario in r/sysadmin. The post explained attack vectors, detection gaps, and remediation steps—then positioned their monitoring tool as one solution.

What to steal: Case study format that educates through real scenarios. Readers learn regardless of whether they convert.

Project Management Software: Instead of highlighting features, this brand asked r/startups what their biggest collaboration frustrations were. They responded thoughtfully to every comment, building relationships before mentioning their product.

What to steal: Ask genuine questions and engage with answers. Community participation before promotion.

E-commerce & DTC

Apparel Brand: A sustainable clothing company showed their entire supply chain in a carousel ad—from raw materials to finished product. Each card told part of the story, ending with where to shop.

What to steal: Carousel format for storytelling. Transparency builds trust with conscious consumers.

Home Goods: A furniture brand shared a before/after of their founder's apartment setup in r/malelivingspace. The aesthetic matched the subreddit's style, and product links were only provided when commenters asked.

What to steal: Match the visual style of your target subreddit. Let users pull product info rather than pushing it.

Specialty Food: A hot sauce brand asked r/spicy to roast their bottle design. The genuine request for feedback generated massive engagement, and the brand responded with humor to every critique.

What to steal: Vulnerability invites engagement. Asking for criticism demonstrates confidence and creates conversation.

Financial Services

Investment Platform: A fintech company ran an AMA with their head of research in r/investing. The executive answered hard questions about market conditions without shilling their platform, building credibility through expertise.

What to steal: AMAs work when the expert provides value without agenda. Make the session about the topic, not your product.

Credit Card: A travel credit card promoted a breakdown of how to maximize points for a specific route (NYC to Tokyo business class). The post was genuinely useful for points enthusiasts, with the card mentioned as one option.

What to steal: Hyper-specific utility content. Narrow topics attract engaged audiences over broad appeals.

Gaming

Indie Game Studio: Before launch, developers participated in r/gamedev discussions for months. When they announced their game, the community already knew them. Launch day engagement was organic, not forced.

What to steal: Invest in community before needing anything from it. Long-term presence beats campaign bursts.

Gaming Peripheral: A mechanical keyboard brand showed their prototype testing process, including failed designs. The transparency about what didn't work made claims about the final product more credible.

What to steal: Show your process, including failures. Reddit users appreciate honesty about development challenges.

Format Examples

Promoted Posts (Image)

What works: Single images that look like native Reddit posts. Clean product shots perform worse than lifestyle imagery or user-generated content aesthetics.

Template: Problem statement as headline, product in context, single clear CTA.

Video Ads

What works: Short demonstrations (under 60 seconds) that show the product solving a specific problem. Talking-head content underperforms unless the speaker is genuinely expert.

Template: Hook with pain point (first 3 seconds), demonstrate solution (20-40 seconds), soft close with next step.

Carousel Ads

What works: Story-driven sequences where each card advances a narrative. Product lines, before/after transformations, or step-by-step processes fit this format well.

Template: Card 1 hooks with outcome, Cards 2-4 show journey, Card 5 reveals product/CTA.

Conversation Ads

What works: Genuine discussion starters that invite community input. Best when brands commit to responding to every comment with thoughtful engagement.

Template: Open-ended question or request for feedback, active participation in resulting discussion.

Free-Form Ads

What works: Long-form educational content (800+ words) that provides standalone value. Mention your product as one solution among several options.

Template: Problem introduction, detailed solution with examples, honest acknowledgment of limitations, product mention as one approach.

Creative Inspiration

Headlines That Work

Successful Reddit ad headlines avoid marketing speak and sound like organic posts:

  • "We spent 6 months testing X. Here's what actually worked."
  • "The [category] mistake I made for years (and how I fixed it)"
  • "Real talk about [topic]: what vendors won't tell you"
  • "I compared [options] so you don't have to"
  • "AMA: I've [relevant credential], ask anything about [topic]"

Visuals That Convert

Do: Native-looking screenshots, behind-the-scenes process shots, real user photos, comparison graphics, data visualizations.

Don't: Polished stock photography, corporate headshots, heavy logo placement, busy promotional graphics.

CTAs That Click

Reddit users respond to value-forward calls to action:

  • "Free guide (no email required)"
  • "See the full breakdown"
  • "Try it yourself"
  • "Join the discussion"

They ignore:

  • "Buy now"
  • "Limited time offer"
  • "Don't miss out"
  • Any urgency-based messaging

For more detailed breakdowns, see our Reddit ads examples analysis and best performing Reddit ads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find more Reddit advertising examples?

Reddit's Ad Library lets you browse active campaigns filtered by industry, budget, format, and objective. Additionally, monitoring subreddits in your niche reveals what promoted content resonates with your target audience—look for promoted posts with high engagement and positive comments.

How do I know which format will work for my brand?

Match format to objective. Image ads work for simple awareness and direct response. Video excels at demonstrations and storytelling. Carousel suits product lines and narratives. Conversation ads build community relationships. Test multiple formats with small budgets before scaling winners.

Should I create different ads for different subreddits?

Yes. Each subreddit has distinct culture, vocabulary, and visual expectations. An ad that works in r/entrepreneur may fail in r/smallbusiness despite similar audiences. Tailor messaging and creative to each community you target.


Key Takeaways

  • Industry-specific examples show how different verticals succeed on Reddit
  • Format choice should match campaign objectives and audience expectations
  • Headlines should sound like organic posts, not marketing copy
  • Visual style must match target subreddit aesthetics
  • CTAs work better when value-forward rather than urgency-based

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