Since the first modem crackled and screeched its way online decades ago, the digital landscape has been constantly evolving. Businesses are always seeking the next effective, creative, clever (and often sneaky) ways to reach their target audiences.
Display advertising is one of the oldest forms of online ads, but there’s a reason it’s still around — it works. While some may gloss over it and dismiss it as just another “banner ad,” the data speaks for itself: In 2024 alone, spending on display ads topped well over $100 billion, and made about 14 billion impressions. No matter the year or product, display ads are a useful tool for building brand awareness, driving website traffic, and generating leads.
To be clear, this is different from search engine marketing, and on the timeline of the internet, was around long before the Googles and Bings we know today. With search engine-based marketing, ads appear based on user queries: What you searched for is what you’re going to start seeing on your search page, often in text-based ads. While that technically still falls under the umbrella of display advertising, that’s not what I’ll be focusing on here. Instead, I’ll focus on display ads that are strategically placed on relevant websites and apps across your online experience, vying for your attention with images, colors, animations, and clever copy.
I also asked a few experts to weigh in with their favorites too: Georgi Todorov, the creator and founder of marketing agency Create and Grow, and Mimi Nguyen, founder and head of marketing of Cafely. These are our picks for the best display advertisements of 2024 (plus a few all-time classics).
10 Best Display Ads of 2024
Effective Minimalism: Apple
Apple is an absolute masterclass in advertising. Their branding is recognizable from a mile away, always clean, sleek, and confident with the right headline.
There’s nothing more here than there needs to be: Witty headline, simple shot of the gift cards, and a call to action (CTA) to move the viewer along. You know the brand, you know what they sell, and you know your gift recipient will be happy with one of these.
Even before display ads were a thing, Apple was at the top of their game with eye-catching advertising that spanned from the memorable to the minimal. From their iconic “1984” TV spot, the “Think Different” celebrity photos, the silhouette iPod ads, to the current color palette with smart, slick headlines, Apple continues to lead the way in what makes a great ad — display or otherwise.
Interactive engagement: Nike Super Bowl Ad
You may have seen, or interacted with, this one in February 2024. In the leadup to the Super Bowl, this was on Google’s Display Network, as well as ESPN and YouTube, and let fans vote on their favorite plays from past Super Bowls. Not only was this a clever idea, but it got fans excited for the big spectacle, with memories of games past, while keeping Nike at the forefront. Much like a play on the gridiron, the strategy and execution got results: Engagement shot up, and CTR was 40% higher than standard display ads, with 3x ROAS compared to static ads.
Brand Recognition: Airbnb
Before even reading the copy here, I knew what this one was about, making it a great example of a display ad that communicates the message right off. The recognizable Airbnb logo on a dog’s nose is a fun visual, but it also delivers the deeper value point: You can find a place to stay with your best canine buddy here. Even if this doesn’t get you immediately clicking over to Airbnb to book a room right this second, you’ll remember them when the time comes. There’s also something rewarding for a viewer to “complete the circle” of the idea themselves, giving them the feeling that they’ve essentially solved a puzzle, instead of over-explaining what the joke or connection is supposed to be.
Shoppable Ads: Gucci
It’s no accident that Gucci’s campaign hit devices at the same time as Fashion Week. In March, the company introduced a shoppable advertising campaign across platforms like Instagram, Vogue, and a few high-end lifestyle websites, integrating direct purchasing capabilities within the video’s content. It worked: Rather than a traditional runway presentation, the ads enabled users to immediately purchase featured apparel and accessories. The result was a 4x increase in conversion rates compared to conventional display advertising.
Gamification: Royal Match
Sorry, but I had to include this because it’s so effective. Chances are, you’re tired of seeing that clumsy king get himself into another fine mess that you’ve gotta help him out of. But the inviting gameplay, eye-candy colors, friendly shapes, and general cartoonishness of it all makes you want to at least try. And you can! Right in the ad. Before you know it, you’ve downloaded the game, are on level 15,039, and are ignoring your family. (But King Robert is safe!)
Nguyen notes that even though this first launched in 2021, by last year, “it was everywhere — on Facebook, TikTok, Youtube, and even on other mobile games. This really helped increase its visibility and ‘appeal’ to a wide audience, making it very hard to miss.”
Maybe a little too hard to miss, in fact, leading to audience fatigue. “Many grew tired of the intrusiveness of the ads. This shows that aggressive advertising can be risky, as it can backfire and create negative associations,” says Nguyen. “Still, I’d say it was very effective — that’s evident in how rapidly it rose in the number of downloads, even surpassing very well-known games like Candy Crush and Homescapes.”
Of course, if you failed frequently when playing the in-ad version of the game, you’re not alone. “Their ads also capitalized on the frustration of failing, and then the satisfaction immediately after when you beat it. It’s a hook that works even on casual gamers, and Royal Match was able to do it effectively,” Nguyen notes.
In the end, then, it’s good to be the king. Nguyen summarized that “they have over 300 million downloads worldwide, with 61.5% of the downloads coming from paid ads. Revenue per download has also reached about $55 per download by December last year — really showing that they did not only get a lot of new players, but also made money from them.”
Interactive Car Configurator: Tesla
Tesla’s interactive car configurator launched right ahead of summer road trip season, and got users excited and curious about how they could customize their own. The ads ran across various automotive review websites as well as the Google Display Network, and let you play around with different modification options like exterior color, wheel design, and interior finishes — all without navigating away. It drove (pun intended) a significant increase in user engagement, both online and IRL, including a 45% growth in test drive registration requests.
Text-Only: The New York Times
Another champion of minimalism, the New York Times does in an ad what it does best — headlines, copy, and their iconic font with the logo up top, in classic black and white. This ad brings you through the entire sales journey: There’s no big product reveal, since you know who it’s for right from the jump. While the standout message is a turn-of-phrase, it still rings true to their inherent philosophy of top-notch journalism (“all the news that’s fit to print,” after all), and a reason for you, the reader, to get a subscription. The enticing offer sits right below it, followed by the CTA.
AI-Personalization: Airbnb
Yes, this is AirBnb’s second appearance on this list, but it’s for an entirely different reason than the one above. Airbnb utilized AI for their clever campaign last April, strategically timed for the summer travel season. It launched across premium travel networks like Lonely Planet and Condé Nast to hit a wide array of different traveler types, using real-time data analysis of a user’s browsing history to dynamically adjust the ad’s content. The result zeroed in on specifically targeted recommendations no matter where you wanted to go, and tailored to your individual preferences. It was a significant success, yielding a 50% increase in user engagement and a 35% increase in booking conversions.
Humor: Slack
On the surface, this may just look silly, with kittens and rainbows acting as a cliche way to show happiness. But those who use Slack know that it fits with the UI and overall theme of the app — taking care of the serious office communication that needs to get done, while also being a fun online space with plenty of whimsical emojis, GIFs, reactions, and other surprises. The line ties it all together, showcasing that Slack can significantly and instantly declutter your inbox, and leveling up the classic “this meeting should have been an email” to “this email should have been a Slack.”
Award Season Luxury Campaign: Louis Vuitton
Much like Gucci’s timing with Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton kicked off a focused luxury advertising campaign timed perfectly with awards season last January, just ahead of the Oscars and Grammys. This campaign was carefully placed in top-tier publications like GQ and Harper’s Bazaar, as well as on other upscale fashion websites. By using contextual targeting, the ads reached luxury consumers during a time when interest in such products was at its peak. As a result, the campaign led to a 20% boost in brand recall and achieved a ROAS of 5:1.
What Makes Some Display Ads Work Better Than Others?
In a display ad, you don’t have much time, space, or human attention span to deliver your message. So why do some succeed while others fail? It all comes down to what makes it up.
Compelling Visuals
High-quality images or videos are easy on the eyes, but they also need to be relevant to the product or service being advertised. You may have an idea for a visual that’s certain to grab attention, but make sure it actually makes sense in terms of what you’re selling, and ties the entire message together with the copy, too.
Clear and Concise Messaging
Keep it short! Pretend this is a billboard advertisement. Realistically, how much time does your viewer have to take it all in? Seconds matter, so a brief and impactful message that clearly communicates the value prop is essential.
Strong Call to Action
Too often, the CTA isn’t given the proper care it needs, and is tossed in as an afterthought. They may seem simple and more of a mindless final link to get the customer to your site, but a CTA should tell them what you want them to do. Think more “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” “Get a Free Quote” than “Let’s Go” or even “Get Started” — which can have negative connotations and make the viewer think this is going to be a long process with lots of steps.
Targeted Audience
Back in the early days of the Wild West Web, targeting ads to a specific subset was a crapshoot — less of a targeted shot than a wide shotgun blast. That’s changed significantly in the last decade, with the ability to narrow down groups by interest, location, demographics, and more. It’ll take some research beforehand, but ensuring your ads are shown to the most relevant audience, based on things like online behavior, is vital for maximizing your ROI.
The difference is undeniable when it comes down to user interaction: People were over five times more likely to click on a targeted ad than a non-targeted ad, and about 37% of social media users made a purchase through a targeted ad. The more you can expand your toolset — particularly with tools like predictive AI that can target and optimize your ads in real time — the better you’ll perform.
Mobile Optimization
I can’t stress this one enough: Ads should be designed to display correctly and effectively on all devices, especially mobile phones. If your ad’s designed for a desktop display, it might be a mess on mobile, which is not only a missed opportunity for clicks, but can even create a negative association between your company and a customer.
Mobile usage is growing rapidly. In 2024 alone, mobile devices accounted for 49.78% of all web visits worldwide, while desktops made up 50.22%. And that’s not all — as of now, it’s predicted that by next year, almost three quarters (72.6%) of internet users will access the web through their smartphones, which equates to about 3.7 billion people.
All this is to say, you’ll definitely want to make sure your ads are optimized for mobile to reach the widest audience possible. You should also be using tools that offer more than just basic analytics: Look for features that’ll keep you competitive, like real-time insights into what’s effective and what’s not, with the ability to adjust your targeting instantly, run A/B tests, and even forecast how your campaigns will perform down the line. Remember, without these tools, factors like rising costs and audience fatigue can quickly sink a campaign (and the person/company making them).
Achieve performance objectives with creative display ad flexibility
Where to Find Display Ads
Websites
This one is obvious, but most websites, particularly those with a significant amount of traffic, feature display ad placements all over.
Blogs
Many blogs use display advertising as a way to monetize their content. The delivery of a display ad on a blog might also hit a bit different than ones you see elsewhere on the web: Since blogs are more content-focused, they know you’ve arrived because of a specific interest, and the ads can be more confident that they’re appealing to the right audience just based on the fact that you’re there. Compare that with social media, where they’re relying on user data to take their best guesses. They also tend to blend in more with the aesthetic of the page, making them appear more trustworthy, compared with seeing a display ad on an unrelated website that looks out of place.
Mobile
Mobile apps often feature display ads, especially the free or freemium apps. They’ve got to make their money somehow, especially if you’re not shelling out actual cash for in-app upgrades, and constant display advertising is often the answer. It’s also growing exponentially — next year, the in-game advertising market is expected to generate over $124 billion worldwide.
Social Media Platforms
Sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter utilize display advertising formats in lots of specifically targeted ways, due to their vast audiences and the methods they employ to break them down by demographics. It’s absolutely worth looking into and simple to set up, too.
Key Takeaways
Even after decades of trying to get into your line of sight, display advertising remains a powerful tool for businesses looking to build brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads. Compelling visuals, clear messaging, targeted audiences, and strong calls to action are a timeless recipe that delivers results when done right. This isn’t a one-and-done process, either: Continuous monitoring and optimization of your ads are essential for maximizing performance and ensuring that you’re reaching the right people.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes for a good display ad?
As you’ve no doubt noticed, there’s a lot of advertising online competing for that precious two seconds of a viewer’s attention, and hoping to make a lasting impression in that impossibly short time. Every brand’s approach to what works as a winning combination is different, but the basic ingredients are the same: Compelling visuals, a clear and concise message, a strong call to action, and effective targeting. Ideally, it should also be optimized for different devices and ad placements, too.
What are the best sizes for a display ad?
You may have your creative juices flowing with the perfect idea for a visual and headline, but don’t skip on thinking about the sizing. Generally, your options will most likely be 300×250 (medium rectangle), 728×90 (leaderboard), 160×600 (wide skyscraper), and 300×600 (half page). You don’t have to only choose one, either — it’s a great idea to create ads in multiple sizes to maximize reach.
Are there creative ads best practices?
Just like any advertising, there are absolutely best practices to consider when designing display ads. The biggest ones are the use of high-quality images, keeping the message concise and easy to understand, incorporating a clear call to action, and maintaining brand consistency in terms of colors, fonts, and overall style. It’s also beneficial to do some A/B testing, or trying out two different creative versions, which can help narrow down what resonates best with your target audience.
