Sponsored Instagram Stories have become an increasingly important part of social media advertising campaigns. Stories are set to overtake the feed as the main place where users interact in 2019 so it’s really a no-brainer for advertisers to be operating in the space.

The popular vertical format is still relatively new but we are beginning to see all sorts of creative and tactic experimentation from brands on Instagram. In this blog, we share five of our favourite Sponsored Instagram Stories.

CONVERSE

Converse is successfully using Instagram Stories by employing a selection of mixed, moving media to keep the viewer highly engaged.

Users swipe through Instagram content super quickly, so it’s important that Sponsored Stories grab and keep attention. One of the easiest ways to do this is to incorporate movement, which Converse has done really well here. While the key assets used in this ad are primarily static (photography, graphics), the sliding transitions between the photos and typed-text animation make the Stories dynamic.  

We also love how the range of assets have been pulled together to make something unique and engaging. The creative use of close-up photography and handwritten text makes the Story visually interesting and unusual – helping it stand out from the crowd.

WGSN

Trend forecaster WGSN’s great use of animated text really elevates this simple series of images.

The subtle fade emphasises the gracefulness of the photography and hints at the contents of the downloadable report. The copy is descriptive and intriguing whilst remaining direct, with a clear CTA.

Text which fades is is one of the easiest ways to bring movement to a Story. If you’re struggling to create video content, consider how effects like this can also be used to also grab attention.

BUSUU

Global language platform Busuu is using new sticker formats to drive attention.

Instagram recently announced that brands would be able to start using the interactive ‘Poll’ sticker in Sponsored Stories. We have not spotted many brands making the most of the new Instagram feature so far. Kudos to Busuu who are using it in a simple but effective way to drive engagement. 

MY PROTEIN

My Protein’s use of imagery in this Sponsored Story is simple but sweet.

The clash of the wide and close-up shots shows off the product in an interesting and effective way. The diagonal crop gives a stylish edge, while the animated text banner brings that all-so-important bit of movement. The photos are bright and eye-catching without being too busy, and the colours used are simple but vibrant.

METHOD

Method is on an absolute roll at the moment, with brilliant social media campaigns dropping left, right and centre. The brand’s Sponsored Stories are no different.

The thing we particularly like in this creative is the emphasis placed on the ‘swipe up’ to Shop Now call to action. Instead of using arrows or animations to draw attention to the link, Method mimics the swipe action by sliding up the bottom of the screen. It’s a brilliant tactic that lets the user know what they need to do in a really obvious, visual way. We also like that it ‘reveals’ a product line up, which makes the call to action even clearer. 

SPORTS DIRECT

And a bonus mention to Sports Direct Training for being one of the only brands we’ve seen to include a ‘swipe up’ call to action so effectively in a video.

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

And a bonus mention to Sports Direct Training for being one of the only brands we’ve seen to include a ‘swipe up’ call to action so effectively in a video.

Have you seen any great examples of Sponsored Instagram Stories? We’d love to see them, so do share them with us and with the Avocado community in our Facebook Group.