WeChat’s Moments Ads are arguably the most effective advertising channel offered by the app. Studies reveal that checking their Moments newsfeeds is users’ top activity on WeChat, with 61 percent of them scrolling through it every time they open the app.
The Moments Ads feature, launched in late 2015, allows brands to place ads in feeds otherwise reserved for posts by friends. Many have had success building brand awareness and enhancing interactions with their WeChat followers. Some even sold items directly through their ads, a user experience analogous to taking a break from liking Instagram pics to buy lipstick or a toy Transformer.
Compared to other advertising opportunities such as “Account Ads” and “Mini-program Ads”, Moments Ads allow brands much more power to target groups by their gender, location, age, and behaviors. It also supports direct user interactions that help brands collect comments and feedback.
On February 28, WeChat released the top 10 best Moments Ads of 2017. The list, presented in alphabetical order, was selected by more than 600,000 WeChat voters who submitted their choices from February 5 to 12.
Adidas Originals#
On August 15, adidas Originals released a campaign entitled “Original Is Never Finished” on WeChat Moments. The video featured celebrities such as Eason Chen, Chen Man, and Kendall Jenner describing how they challenged themselves to stay original. At the end of the ad, the brand invited viewers to follow their official account.
Tourism Australia#
On June 8, Tourism Australia launched an ad on WeChat Moments to encourage Chinese consumers to spend vacations in Australia exploring the country’s beautiful natural scenery. The ad includes a 30-second video and a slideshow, both of which enumerated the country's major attractions. Readers are encouraged to follow the official WeChat account of Tourism Australia.
BMW China#
Luxury automaker BMW released a Moments Ad on August 28 to promote its new X1 model. The ad includes a short video and a slideshow, where the brand introduces details and key features of the new model. At the end of the ad, readers can follow the link to make an appointment on BMW’s official website to test drive X1.
Dior#
Christian Dior released a Moments Ad on October 12 to introduce its “Dior Addict” Lip Tattoo to Chinese consumers. A short campaign video sees a model demonstrate the product, highlighting the lipstick's long-lasting color. Interested viewers can go to the Dior official website to order the product via a link provided in the ad.
Dolce & Gabbana#
The Moments Ad to promote Dolce & Gabbana’s #DGCapri campaign, directed by famous Italian street photographer Franco Pagetti, featured scores of models dressed in colorful Dolce & Gabbana outfits. Readers can access all of the campaign images on the ad, and read the stories of how each shot came about.
Jimmy Choo#
Jimmy Choo’s Moments Ad published on April 27 last year focuses on promoting its Cinderella wedding shoes. Images and videos help introduce the brand's customization service to Chinese consumers.
JD.com#
China’s second-largest e-commerce group, in collaboration with the American toy company Hasbro, released a Moments Ad ahead of its joint Brand Day on June 23. The JD.com ad was themed around Transformers, a pop culture franchise that's hugely popular among Chinese males. Viewers can watch a campaign video and collect coupons from the Moments Ad. A list of Transformers toys for sale was also presented, and shoppers could buy via a link included in the ad.
TripAdvisor#
On June 27, TripAdvisor released a Moments Ad to promote visits to Australia. Like most brands mentioned above, the American travel company also incorporates visually appealing images and videos in the ad to showcase the natural beauty of Australia. At the end of the ad, followers are encouraged to download the TripAdvisor app and visit a 360-degree visual map created by Tourism Australia.
Tencent Charity#
The official WeChat account of Tencent Charity released a Moments Ad to educate the public about their philanthropic efforts, as well as inspire them to make a contribution. An embedded video highlights the work of the charity, from wildlife protection to poverty reduction and education initiatives. At the end of the ad, readers can find out a variety of ways for them to participate in upcoming charity events.
Montblanc#
Montblanc’s Moments Ad promoted the Summit smartwatch, which was exclusively released on WeChat on August 14. Readers can visit the brand’s website to place an order via the link offered in the ad, and the first 10 consumers who successfully bought the watch also received a gift from the brand.
The takeaway#
- In 2017, brands relied on WeChat Moments Ads to increase followers, introduce new products and offers, promotes sales events, and promote their corporate social responsibility initiatives
- The most successful Moments Ads contained upbeat campaign videos and visually appealing images
- Most successful ads were kept to under two minutes of mixed-media content