The fastest way to get better at ads is to study ones that are already running. Below are 24 real short-form video ads that Thumbstoppers made for Indian brands across skincare, fintech, health, food, home, baby and fashion. For each one we break down the format, the hook (the first two or three seconds) and why we think it works.
We don't publish client performance data on this page. Results depend on budget, audience, offer and timing, and they belong to the brands. What we can show is the craft: how each ad earns attention and turns it into interest. Every video below plays with sound; most ads in India are also built to work on mute with captions.
Skincare, makeup and personal care ad examples
Fixderma: Brightening lip balm SPF 50+
Format: Before/after testimonial, Hindi
Hook: Opens on a close-up of the creator's lips with a clear 'Before / After' label, then he explains why they were dark (smoking) and what the balm does.
Why it works: The problem is visible in the first frame, and the creator names his own cause, so it reads as a confession rather than a claim. Men are an under-served audience in lip care, and this speaks to them directly.
The Derma Co (Honasa / Mamaearth group): 2% Kojic Acid face serum
Format: Creator explainer with review screenshots
Hook: Starts with a direct question about dark spots, then moves to on-screen customer reviews and the creator applying the serum.
Why it works: Question hooks work when the viewer answers 'yes' in their head. Real review screenshots act as proof without the creator having to over-claim.
Pilgrim: 10% Niacinamide serum
Format: Ingredient explainer, Hindi-English
Hook: The creator calls out acne marks and goes straight into the ingredients, with macro cut-ins of niacinamide and zinc PCA.
Why it works: Ingredient-aware shoppers search by ingredient name. Showing each ingredient as a visual card makes a technical product easy to follow on mute.
Lakme: Peach Milk moisturiser
Format: Skin-barrier explainer, Marathi
Hook: A Marathi-speaking creator explains the skin barrier, with a 3D cut-away of skin layers before showing the product on her face.
Why it works: Regional language plus a simple science visual. It earns attention in a feed full of Hindi and English beauty ads, and the cut-away makes 'barrier repair' concrete.
Swiss Beauty: Dew It Up liquid blush
Format: Creator demo, texture-first
Hook: A reaction shot ('missing' something), then the blush blended on the cheek with a 'feels weightless' caption, ending on the pack and offer.
Why it works: Makeup sells on texture and finish. The ad spends most of its time on the face, not the pack, and keeps the offer to the final seconds.
Perfora: Electric toothbrush
Format: Sceptic-turned-convert, Hindi
Hook: He admits he thought electric toothbrushes were for lazy people, then shows himself using one, ending on the product page.
Why it works: Saying the objection out loud first is disarming. The viewer who holds the same doubt keeps watching to see why he changed his mind.
Toothsi: Clear aligners
Format: Founder-style talking head with clinic walk-through, Hindi
Hook: She starts with what she used to believe about aligners, walks into the clinic on camera and ends on EMI options.
Why it works: For a high-consideration product, showing the real clinic answers 'is this legit?' before it is asked. The payment option closes the price objection.
Yaan Man: Men's grooming
Format: Creator demo with split-screen product shots
Hook: A confident opener about walking into a room, then split-screen application shots and an 'aur bonus?' turn to a second product.
Why it works: Fast cuts and a second-product 'bonus' keep men's grooming ads moving, and it doubles as a cross-sell.
Sanfe: Women's personal care
Format: Day-in-the-life, English
Hook: Opens with a working woman at her desk: '10-step skincare was never made for women who work 14 hours a day', then a creator outdoors explains the routine.
Why it works: It names the audience and her real constraint (time) in the first line, which makes the product feel built for her.
Health, nutrition and wellness ad examples
Wellbeing Nutrition: Nutrition supplement
Format: Creator demo with a comparison visual
Hook: Mirror and lifestyle shots, then a simple on-screen absorption comparison against other formats, ending with her drinking it.
Why it works: A side-by-side visual explains a technical difference in seconds and can be followed on mute.
Gritzo: Kids' nutrition
Format: Expert-led explainer
Hook: A presenter opens with a history hook about chicory root once being a coffee substitute in Europe, then explains why it's in a kids' drink.
Why it works: Curiosity hooks ('the ingredient that was a coffee substitute in the 1800s') get past parents' ad blindness, and the calm expert tone suits a kids' product.
Amrutam: Ayurvedic menopause malt
Format: Doctor-led case story, Hindi
Hook: An Ayurveda practitioner tells a patient story about menopause symptoms, cuts to the product and an animation of how it works, and returns to her in a podcast-style setting.
Why it works: A practitioner telling a story is more trusted than a claim, and a podcast set signals expertise without looking like a TV ad.
Fintech ad examples
BharatPe: UPI rewards
Format: Creator testimonial, Hindi
Hook: Opens with the creator saying what she has earned from UPI rewards, then shows where the coins can be used (shopping brands, bill payments).
Why it works: Leading with a personal, specific outcome is the hook. The rest of the ad answers 'where can I use it?', the next question a viewer has.
Motilal Oswal: Investing
Format: Mock news report and street interview, Hindi
Hook: A 'breaking news' style opener about a social-media stock tip gone wrong, then a reporter interviews a passer-by about trusting finfluencers.
Why it works: News framing borrows the attention of a headline, and the topic (bad tips) positions the brand as the research-led alternative, which suits a regulated category.
KreditBee: Personal loans
Format: Two-person skit, Hindi
Hook: One friend is stressed about wedding expenses, the other suggests the app, followed by an in-app screen of the online process.
Why it works: Skits let a lender talk about a real money worry without lecturing. The app screen shows the process is online, the main trust question for loans.
Apps and edtech ad examples
Seekho: Learning app
Format: Presenter-led myth buster, Hindi
Hook: Asks whether hard work alone makes people rich, then explains a contrarian idea, with motion graphics on screen.
Why it works: A contrarian question is a strong hook for learning apps: the viewer wants the answer, and the answer is a taste of the content inside the app.
Food and drinks ad examples
Korebi Coffee: Doppio liquid coffee
Format: Relatable late-night scenario
Hook: 'Deadline mode on': a night owl at a laptop explains why late-night coffee is risky, then the liquid coffee is poured and the range is shown.
Why it works: It sells a moment (the late-night deadline), not the coffee, so the audience self-selects in the first second.
Two Brothers Organic Farms: Cold-pressed oils
Format: Founder-style process story
Hook: Black-and-white footage of a traditional wooden ghani, then the presenter in a kitchen with the bottle, cutting back to the pressing process.
Why it works: Showing the process proves the 'traditional' claim without saying 'trust us'. The contrast of old footage and a modern kitchen holds attention.
Home and living ad examples
Duroflex: Smart recliner bed
Format: Couple testimonial
Hook: A couple talk through the bed's features (anti-snore mode, zero-gravity position) while using them.
Why it works: For a big-ticket product, two real-feeling users demonstrating features answers 'is it worth it?' better than a product film.
Ugaoo: Ceramic planters
Format: Styling demo
Hook: Hands place plants in gold and white ceramic pots across a living room, ending with the creator showing the full set.
Why it works: Home décor sells on 'how will it look in my home?'. The ad shows placement in a real room rather than on a white background.
Baby and kids ad examples
SuperBottoms: Cloth diapers
Format: Parent POV storytelling, Hindi
Hook: A mother on her phone recalls a 3 a.m. diaper moment, with her toddler in the shot, before the brand reveal.
Why it works: Every parent recognises the 3 a.m. moment. The emotion comes first and the product second, which is how parents actually talk about baby products.
Nintara Baby: Sleep sack
Format: Product demo with a sleeping baby
Hook: A baby asleep in the wearable blanket, close-ups of the snap buttons and wide bottom, and the mother checking on the child.
Why it works: Calm visuals match the promise (better sleep), and the close-ups answer the practical questions parents have.
Fashion and innerwear ad examples
Cahoot: Men's shirts
Format: Self-aware creator monologue
Hook: 'I'm not dressing up today, it's just a shirt', while the edit keeps showing the shirt's details, ending on a confident outdoor look.
Why it works: The joke is the hook, and the details sell the shirt. Humour also makes the ad feel native to Reels.
Dermawear: Cotton trunks
Format: Problem-first demo
Hook: 'Time to throw that underwear out if it's still giving you a hard time', followed by close-ups of the bonded waistband and comfort in everyday moves.
Why it works: A blunt, funny problem line stops the scroll, and the close-ups explain the feature that solves it.
What these ads have in common
- The first frame does the work. A visible problem (dark lips, acne marks), a direct question, a contrarian claim or a recognisable moment (3 a.m., deadline night). None of them open on a logo.
- A real person, not a voice-over. Creators, experts and founders talking to camera feel native to Reels and Stories, and they carry trust that product films struggle to.
- One idea per ad. Each ad answers one question: what it feels like, how it works, why it's different, or whether it's legit.
- Language follows the audience. Hindi, Marathi and Hinglish appear as often as English. Regional language is often an advantage.
- Proof shown, not claimed. Before/after shots, review screenshots, process footage, app screens and clinic walk-throughs do the convincing.
- Captions on screen. Every ad can be followed on mute.
How to use these examples for your own ads
- Pick the two or three examples closest to your category and price point.
- Write down the hook type each one uses (problem, question, contrarian, moment, objection) and draft three hooks of each type for your product.
- Decide what proof you can honestly show: reviews, process, before/after, an expert, a demo.
- Test several hooks on the same body and keep the ones with the best hook rate and cost per purchase.
- Refresh before creative fatigue sets in.
Want ads like these? See our pages for skincare brands, fintech brands, edtech brands and D2C brands, or browse more on our work page.
FAQs
What is a good example of a video ad?
A good video ad stops the scroll in its first two seconds, focuses on one idea and shows proof rather than claiming it. The Fixderma lip balm ad above is a clear example: the problem is visible in the first frame and the creator explains it in his own words.
What types of video ads work best on Instagram and Facebook in India?
Creator testimonials, demos, ingredient or feature explainers, skits, expert-led ads and day-in-the-life stories are the most common winning formats. Hindi, regional-language and Hinglish ads often do as well as English, sometimes better.
Did Thumbstoppers make all of these ads?
Yes. Every ad on this page was scripted, cast, shot and edited by Thumbstoppers for the brand shown. Brands, logos and products belong to their owners.
Why don't you show results like ROAS for these ads?
Performance data belongs to our clients, and results depend on budget, targeting, offer and timing, so a single number can mislead. We show the creative and explain the thinking behind it instead.
How long should a video ad be?
Most of these run between 20 and 60 seconds. On Reels and Stories the first two seconds matter most. Many brands run a full version and shorter cut-downs of the same ad and let the data decide.
How can I get video ads like these for my brand?
Email naineel@hungryfolksmedia.com or call +91 97571 48835. We work with brands across India from Mumbai and Bangalore, and plan, script, cast, shoot and edit the ads end to end.