GIF ads

Imagine an ad playing on an endless loop—a short

narrative crafted to seamlessly, infinitely repeat. Taken

at face value, that’s the stuff of nightmares. But you’ve

likely already seen dozens of ads made to do just that

for brands like Amazon, Bubly, Converse and Gatorade

—and you may have already unknowingly shared them.

That’s the magic of GIFs. At least, that’s what some of

the marketers who see the use of GIFs as ads as a

growing creative trend believe.

“Clever marketers are creating GIFs to help consumers

express themselves through these humorous, snackable

videos which make them a shareable utility versus an ad,”

explained Quynh Mai, founder of digital shop Moving Image

and Content. “GIFs are an economical way for consumers

to express their moods, and smart brands are creating GIFs

as a utility for that purpose, making these shareable personal

expressions and not just a six-second video.”

That difference between the six-second ad—which has also

become a favorite for marketers in recent years—and GIFs

is important to understanding the burgeoning trend of GIFs

as ads. While brands are certainly creating more short-form

ads to fit into YouTube’s bumper format or various apps that

are seeking shorter and shorter spots, making GIFs requires

a different kind of creative approach.